22/10/2026
READ: PH’s Right to Information Act seen as potential ASEAN model
PH’s Right to Information Act seen as potential ASEAN model
BANGKOK, Thailand – Civil society organizations from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) see the proposed Right to Information (RTI) Act as a potential model for Southeast Asia during a regional forum on access to information and information integrity held in Bangkok, Thailand.
The proposed measure was discussed during the Access to Information and Information Integrity in the Digital Age: Lessons and Challenges from South-East Asia, organized by the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand on Sept. 29, in observance of the International Day of Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
During the discussion, forum moderator and Centre for Independent Journalism Malaysia Executive Director Wathshlah Naidu said the proposed RTI Act of the Philippines was already ahead of those in many other ASEAN countries and could rank among the stronger RTI frameworks globally if enacted and further improved.
“I did look at the (proposed) RTI bill in your Lower House and I think you are already way ahead than many of the other ASEAN countries,” Naidu shared. “If your bill is adopted or even tweaked and improved, it’s going to be perhaps one of the Top 20. And I have a lot of hope for that because we need a clear model in ASEAN.”
Freedom of Information-Program Management Office (FOI-PMO) Policy, Planning and Support Division Chief Atty. Ma. Danica Orcullo represented the Philippines at the forum.
She shared the FOI-PMO’s implementation experience, as well as provisions of the proposed measure that draw from international RTI standards, such as those set by the Center for Law and Democracy (CLD).
These include the establishment of an independent oversight mechanism, prescribed timelines for processing information requests, and clearly defined exceptions to disclosure. The measure was developed with inputs from a technical working group composed of representatives from the FOI-PMO, other government agencies, civil society, and the House Committee on Public Information.
Orcullo, however, stressed that international standards should be considered against a country's institutional and social context when framing an RTI system.
“If it (the law) does not impact people on the ground, it won't be effective,” Orcullo said. “We need to listen to the people and assess what kind of an RTI system works for that society. What may be ideal as an international standard may not reflect what the people want, especially given different social context and different bureaucracy.”
Four decades-long pursuit of an RTI Law
The Philippines’ pursuit of a national freedom of information law dates back to 1987, when the first FOI bill was filed during the 8th Congress by then Camarines Sur Representative Raul Roco.
One of the closest attempts at enactment came in 2010. A bicameral conference committee report on the proposed FOI law had already been approved by the Senate and was awaiting ratification by the House of Representatives on the final session day of the 14th Congress. The measure ultimately failed to proceed after the House fell short of the quorum required to act on the bill.
Nearly four decades and 12 Congresses since the first measure was filed, the Philippines has yet to enact a comprehensive national RTI law.
In 2016, Executive Order No. 2 operationalized the constitutional right to information within the Executive Branch, establishing an FOI mechanism across national government agencies, while legislation continued to be lobbied in Congress.
The proposed RTI Act has since been identified as a legislative priority of the current administration under the 20th Congress.
Earlier this year, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed their respective versions of the measure on third and final reading. The proposed law now awaits bicameral conference proceedings to reconcile the two versions before a final measure is submitted to both chambers for ratification.
Orcullo said the renewed momentum also reflects years of work by civil society organizations and the media in continuing public discussion around the right to information and translating the issue for wider public appreciation.
10 years of FOI implementation
The Philippines’ experience under Executive Order No. 2 has also provided a decade-long testing ground for systems and processes that could eventually support a national RTI law.
In those 10 years, the FOI-PMO conducted capacity development for implementers in the government on how to disclose information, what to disclose information, how to retrieve these documents within a timely period for relevance.
The electronic FOI platform has recorded 457,724 registered users and 270,220 information requests, with 739 government agencies participating in the program.
The decade of implementation, Orcullo mentioned, provides “proof of concept” in determining how international principles can be applied into systems suited to government institutions in the Philippines.
“This is an important time for us to know what system works for us and for it to be integrated in our law,” she said.
FOI impact beyond the Executive Branch
The effects of the current FOI mechanism in the Philippines have also extended beyond institutions outside the Executive Branch, including local government units that have adopted their own access to information mechanisms.
At the local level, 110 local governments across the country have established their own FOI mechanisms, while some barangays have also initiated similar measures.
These developments reflect a recurring point raised during the regional forum wherein access to information ultimately has to reach people at the level where information directly affects their communities and everyday lives.
Growing youth involvement in FOI was also highlighted by the Philippine delegates from the FOI-PMO at the 17th International Conference of Information Commissioners (ICIC) and IDUAI Global Conference in Sierra Leone, held around the same period.
Around 4,500 young people participated in FOI activities from 2025 to 2026, with some moving beyond participation to initiate access to information efforts in their own communities.
Among the examples raised was Kawit, Cavite, where a local chapter of a nationwide youth organization sought technical assistance from the FOI-PMO in July 2026 to develop a proposed municipal FOI ordinance.
The youth-led group worked with the FOI-PMO on the draft and formally submitted it to the Sangguniang Bayan of Kawit on Aug. 12, coinciding with International Youth Day. (PR)
ASEAN MODEL. Freedom of Information-Program Management Office (FOI-PMO) Policy, Planning, and Support Division Chief Atty. Ma. Danica Orcullo (left) discusses FOI-PMO implementation in the Philippines at a regional forum in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sept. 29, 2026. During the forum, civil society organizations from ASEAN see the proposed Right to Information as a potential model for Southeast Asia. (Contributed photo)
