The labor department on Wednesday was conferred the hall of fame award for besting other national government agencies for three consecutive years as Freedom of Information (FOI) champion.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III vowed to lead the DOLE in the continuing quest of empowering the people through information following his acceptance of the prestigious awards as FOI champion and Hall of Fame.

The awards were given by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) during the 2020 FOI Awards ceremony at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Quezon City.

“As the FOI Program entails openness across the government, the department guarantees to remain committed in making an informed and empowered citizenry,” Bello said.

The FOI Awards is given to government agencies, individuals and organizations that champion public access to information. On the other hand, the Hall of Fame Award is conferred to government agencies who have won for three consecutive years.

Bello said it has been the practice of the Department of Labor and Employment over the past several years to advocate the highest level of transparency. Transparency and accountability are pillars of good governance which the DOLE upholds through its policies and programs, he added.

“Even at the height of the pandemic and the prevalence of fake news, the Labor Department did its best in communicating the real employment situation and true condition of the Filipino workers and employers,” Bello said.

He added, “We are humbled by the yearly recognition bestowed on us for our adherence to the FOI Program. We have no plans of stopping this practice that has become a tradition.”

“The challenges we face only drive us to be more committed for this cause,” he also said.

DOLE focuses this year on proactive disclosure of data and information which are key to the development of ‘smart citizens’, Bello said, adding that well-informed workers and employers are key to industrial peace.

“Progressive industries pave the way for a strong economy,” he added.

Bello thanked PCOO chief Secretary Martin Andanar and FOI Program Director Assistant Secretary Kristian Ablan and the rest of the FOI Team “for their endless commitment and support to the DOLE in facilitating the FOI Program.

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