Benefits/advantages of FOI:

It was implicitly avowed that the country can pride itself of being a state that has
elevated the “right to information as a distinct Constitutional guarantee. Article III (Bill
of Rights), Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution states: The right of the people to
information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records,
and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well
as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded
the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law (AER, 2010).

Moreover, the 1987 Constitution further preserves as a state policy the full disclosure
of all its transactions involving public interest. Article II (Declaration of Principles and
State Policies), Section 28 reads: Subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the
State adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions
involving public interest.

This Freedom of Information is a vital component of the Aquino Good Governance

and Anti-Corruption Plan of 2012-2016, which, according to an article in iKuwaderno,
has recently been approved subject to further refinements by the President himself. This
plan includes amendments and proposals that pursue greater lucidity, accountability, and
citizen participation in governance and administration.

One of the most crucial tools that can upgrade social accountability is the freedom of
information bill which continues to be pending in Congress.

What makes this act even more beneficial for the public is its potential to render the
government as being more open to public scrutiny, hence, it becomes more accountable.
If people are sufficiently informed and have access to information, there is a great
probability that public participation will heighten when it comes to policy-making
processes and in the government as well.

It was mentioned in the same article that “members of their community must have
adequate access to information in order to make valid judgments about government
policy and to exercise effectively their choice as to who should govern them. The Senate
Committee said: “The essence of democratic government lies in the ability of people to
make choices: about who shall govern; or about which policies they support or reject.
Such choices cannot be properly made unless adequate information is available. It cannot
be accepted that it is the Government itself which should determine what level of
information is to be regarded as adequate.”

We have to agree that the FOI legislation ensures greater accountability of public
servants to their ministers and to the public, as what the History of FOI Act of the
Australian Government has asserted. But if it is to be soundly based, it must attain a
proper balance between the rights of members of the community to obtain access to
information and, on the other, the need for confidentiality in the innermost workings of
government and the need to protect essential public and private interests.
 Also in an article by Jane Morse entitled the Freedom of Information Laws Benefit
Government and Pubic, she mentioned William Ferroggiaro, a Washington-based writer
and consultant with more than 15 years of experience as an advocate for government
accountability who said that “the act prevents the creation of secret laws and regulations
as the public can have access to documents. For the government, freedom of information
laws provide a legal mechanism for disclosure of information and improves credibility
before the public”.

Ateneo de Manila University School of Government Dean Tony La Vina argues, in

his article “Social Accountability and Freedom of Information”, that participating in
policy planning gives practical access to information-gathering and dissemination. People
themselves are laying down the foundations of open government and open
communications with government. FOI doesn’t only demand Executive attention and
Legislative action; it needs a pervasive culture of openness from government and civil
society alike.

People nowadays, especially the youth, are very well informed and educated with
regards to government programs. La Vinas’ also furthered that the freedom of information
act extends beyond addressing tarnished scandals pertaining the truth; nonetheless, it
envelopes the meticulous facets of governance such as budgeting for roads, medicines,
schools, and how officials carry out their battlecry and promises.

In a broader extent, an advantage alluded to the Laws and Regulations Database of

The Repubic of China is that FOI is “enacted to facilitate people to share and fairly utilize
government information, protect people’s right to know, further people’s understanding,
trust and overseeing of public affairs, and encourage public participation in democracy.”

The supplementary value of the FOI to society is its pillar for augmenting citizen
engagement with government. Its value goes way beyond its utility to the media. Citizen
participation is a must for good governance. Access to information is essential for such
engagement. Freedom of information is the most potent tool for access to information.
Palpably, these laws are utilized to fight corruption, make government bodies accountable
and promote social and human rights.