No wrong door: Iloilo City opens up its public records

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

From budgets and procurement plans to official records, public documents held by the Iloilo City government will now be subject to a two-pronged formal disclosure process following the passage of a Freedom of Information (FOI) ordinance.

The City Council passed the landmark ordinance on second and final reading Wednesday, June 17, after a floor deliberation that lasted more than an hour.

“The Iloilo City government recognizes the urgency of establishing concrete steps to operationalize the FOI at the local level, with the objective of fostering greater trust between the government and its constituents,” the ordinance read.

Under the new law, residents may request access to government records by filling out an FOI Request Form, which must be made available in all city government offices.

Requesters are required to present a valid identification card.

Those filing requests on behalf of another person must also submit an authorization letter.

The ordinance allows requests to be filed in either of two locations: the central FOI Desk under the Office of the City Mayor, or the FOI Receiving Officer (FRO) of the specific office, department, division, or unit that has custody of the requested information.

Once a request is filed, the receiving officer will stamp it “Received,” indicating the date and time of submission.

The requester will then be issued an FOI acknowledgment slip containing a reference number and contact details for follow-up inquiries.

One of the most significant features of the ordinance is the “No Wrong Door Policy,” under which no city office can refuse a request simply because it does not have the information needed.

If a request is filed at the wrong office, that department is legally bound to refer it to the central FOI Desk or the correct department within 24 hours.

Requests for information are categorized as either simple or complex based on the amount of work required to fulfill them.

This classification determines the processing timeline and the level of evaluation needed.

“Simple” requests identified by the concerned office must be processed within 15 working days.

“Complex” requests are those that require extensive research or voluminous data, and they are granted an additional period of not more than 20 working days for processing.

For requests that are not covered by automatic disclosure under a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) memorandum circular, or that require further evaluation, the FOI Decision Maker or the office concerned refers the matter to the Data Assessment and System Management Office (DASMO).

Among the records generally covered by automatic disclosure are budgets, financial reports, procurement plans, and other public documents.

DASMO then conducts a comprehensive assessment to determine the propriety of disclosure and provides a recommendation on whether the information should be released.

For these complex cases, DASMO is generally expected to provide its recommendation within five days.

Information or records that cannot be released without prior evaluation include documents that concern national and local security, executive and legal privilege, safety and law enforcement, confidential legal proceedings, and financial and proprietary information.

APPEAL MECHANISM

Central to the ordinance is the creation of a Central Appeals and Review Committee (CARC), a specialized body established to ensure a fair and organized process for FOI appeals and to oversee the implementation of the ordinance.

Its main mandate is to review and resolve all FOI appeals when a city office or department has denied a request for information.

The committee will be chaired by Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu, with a representative from the Sangguniang Panlungsod serving as vice chairperson and DASMO acting as secretariat.

If a request is denied, the concerned office must provide a written explanation stating the grounds for denial.

For appeals involving complex cases, CARC must issue a decision within 30 working days.

Failure to act within the prescribed period will be deemed a denial of the appeal.

The committee is also authorized to conduct hearings and meetings to gather information and clarify issues related to FOI disputes.

Within 60 calendar days from the ordinance’s effectivity, CARC is required to formulate and adopt an FOI Manual of Operations.

The ordinance provides that filing an FOI request will be free of charge.

Documents transmitted electronically or provided in digital format will likewise be free.

Fees may only be collected for ancillary services such as certification or authentication of documents.

Indigent applicants may be exempted upon presentation of a Certificate of Indigency.

Government personnel who fail to comply with the ordinance may face administrative sanctions:

• First offense — Reprimand
• Second offense — Suspension from one to 30 days
• Third offense — Dismissal from service

The FOI Desk Officer will submit a list of non-compliant personnel to CARC, which will determine the appropriate disciplinary action.

‘A BIG MILESTONE’

The ordinance was principally authored by Councilor Sheen Marie Mabilog and co-authored by Councilors Jose Maria Dela Llana and Sedfrey Cabaluna.

Mabilog first filed her proposed measure on Oct. 15, 2025, while Dela Llana filed a separate version on Oct. 22, 2025.

The two councilors later agreed to consolidate their proposals into a single ordinance.

Cabaluna chairs the Committee on Communication and Public Information.

Mabilog said the ordinance is a major step toward creating a more transparent government where public officials and government actions are subject to greater scrutiny.

“[This] will finally provide clarity and assurance to people requesting documents from City Hall that these can be disclosed. It now contains provisions that specify the time frame within which requests must be acted upon,” she said.

“This is a significant milestone for Iloilo City because it will allow us to better monitor the city government. This is a move against corruption and will also help ensure that citizens are informed,” Mabilog said.

Mabilog said the key innovation of the ordinance is the establishment of what she believes is an efficient and seamless process for requesting government records.

Asked about the most difficult part of crafting the ordinance, Mabilog said it was reconciling differences between the two versions originally filed.

“There were provisions that differed between the two versions. In the end, compromises had to be made. What was important was our common goal—that all documents that are public records should be accessible to the public,” she said.

The ordinance positions Iloilo City among a growing number of local governments that have adopted their own FOI measures in the absence of a national FOI law. At the national level, access to executive-branch records is currently governed by Executive Order No. 2, signed in 2016, which covers only agencies under the Executive department.

The proponents initially intended to approve the ordinance on second and final reading June 10.

However, its passage was deferred after several councilors raised concerns that some provisions, particularly those governing the procedure for requesting documents, still needed refinement.

In the 11th City Council, a similar ordinance had been proposed, but it did not progress due to concerns over data privacy.