DILIMAN, Quezon City—For the second year in a row, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) has been certified as “fully compliant” to the enhanced Freedom of Information (FOI) requirements set by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Harmonization of National Government Performance Monitoring Information, and Reporting Systems, also known as Task Force Administrative Order 25, s. 2011.

The certification, signed by Secretary and FOI Champion Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar, was issued by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) to the ATI for its FOI efforts in 2019. The Institute received the same recognition last year after completing all FOI requirements for 2018.

The ATI was given the recognition after submitting its updated FOI Agency Manual and reports for 2019. The FOI manual details the Institute’s internal guidelines and defines the roles and responsibilities of designated agency personnel.

Meanwhile, FOI reports, which consist of the inventory, registry, and summary, provide detailed statistics on the number of FOI requests and appeals received and processed by the agency. These manual and reports were uploaded on the ATI official website, through the transparency seal, as required by the task force.

The Institute has also been actively participating in activities and campaigns being implemented by the FOI-Project Management Office. This is in line with the Department of Agriculture’s goal to promote greater transparency, accountability, and grassroots participation in governance.

The said recognition from the PCOO is seen to enhance the Institute’s efforts to continually provide accurate and truthful information to stakeholders of the agriculture and fisheries sector.

For more details on the ATI’s FOI manual and reports, visit https://ati.da.gov.ph/ati-main/content/ati-transparency-seal.