By Freddie G. Lazaro

The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) has been recognized for its outstanding commitment to transparency, receiving the 2024 Freedom of Information (FOI) Rising Star Award.

Administrator and CEO Belinda S. Sanchez personally received the award with NTA FOI Focal Person Freddie G. Lazaro and Public Relations Officer III Melanie R. Parel in a ceremony held at the Hilton Manila, Newport Boulevard, Pasay City on Monday, Nov. 25. In the same occasion, Lazaro also awarded as Best FOI Officer for CY 2024.

Administrator Sanchez expressed her gratitude to the Presidential Communications Office – Freedom of Information – Project Management Office (PCO – FOI PMO) for conferring the award on NTA as a testament to the agency’s dedication to transparency and accountability.

She also shared the award with the FOI team members and all the NTA staff, who worked tirelessly to ensure seamless information disclosure and citizen engagement.

She vowed the agency’s continuing innovation to uphold the principles of FOI and ensure stakeholders’ access to accurate and timely information.

The FOI Rising Star Award is given to government agencies that have demonstrated significant improvements in their FOI compliance and have promoted a culture of transparency within their organizations.

The FOI award was presented by the PCO – FOI PMO in the annual gathering of leading FOI practitioners and champions from the government and non-government sectors. The award aimed to recognize the contribution of key implementers in the overall implementation of the FOI program.

Aside from the 2024 FOI Rising Star Awards and 2024 Best FOI Officer Awards, the PCO – FOI PMO also conferred the award for the FOI champion winners under the Local Water Districts category, State University and Colleges category, GOCC category, Agencies/Bureaus/Commissions/Councils category, Department category, and the FOI commitment to excellence award.

The PCO-FOI PMO also gave special awards to the new Local Government Units (LGUs) that passed their FOI Ordinance, the top requested and performing agencies in the eFOI portal, and the lawmakers, who continue working on the passage of the FOI law in Congress.