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| SEC COMPLIANCE WITH SEC. 99 (TRANSPARENCY SEAL) R.A. NO. 10964 (GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FY 2018) |
| SYMBOLISM |
| A pearl buried inside a tightly-shut shell is practically worthless. Government information is a pearl, meant to be shared with the public in order to maximize its inherent value. The Transparency Seal, depicted by a pearl shining out of an open shell, is a symbol of a policy shift towards openness in access to government information. On the one hand, it hopes to inspire Filipinos in the civil service to be more open to citizen engagement; on the other, to invite the Filipino citizenry to exercise their right to participate in governance. |
| This initiative is envisioned as a step in the right direction towards solidifying the position of the Philippines as the Pearl of the Orient a shining example for democratic virtue in the region. |
| Sec. 99. Transparency Seal. |
| To enhance transparency and enforce accountability, all agencies of the government shall maintain a Transparency Seal to be posted on their websites. The Transparency Seal shall contain the following: |
| i. |
the agency’s mandates and functions, names of its officials with their position and designation, and contact information; |
| ii. |
approved budgets and corresponding targets, immediately upon approval of this Act; |
| iii. |
modifications made pursuant to the general and special provisions in this Act; |
| iv. |
annual procurement plan/s and contracts awarded with the winning supplier, contractor or consultant; |
| v. |
major programs and projects categorized in accordance with the five key results areas under E.O No. 43, s. 2011, as amended, and their target beneficiaries; |
| vi. |
status of implementation, evaluation and/or assessment reports of said programs or projects; |
| vii. |
Budget and Financial Accountability Reports, pursuant to COA and DBM J.C No. 2014-1 dated July 2, 2014; and |
| viii. |
annual reports on the status of income authorized by law to be retained and/or used and be deposited outside of the National Treasury, which shall include the legal basis for its retention and/or use, the beginning balance, income collected and its sources, expenditures, and ending balance for the preceding fiscal year. |
