Republic of the Philippines Office of the President PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY NIA Northside Road, National Government Center Barangay Pinyahan,

PRESS RELEASE #610/17 DATE : December 6, 2017 AUTHORITY : AARON N AQUINO Director General, PDEA For more information, comments and suggestions please call: DERRICK ARNOLD C. CARREON, CESE, Director, Public Information Office Tel. No. 929-3244, 927-9702 Loc.131; Cell phone: 09159111585 ______

PDEA NOMINATED IN FOI AWARDS

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) received a nomination during the 1st Freedom of Information (FOI) Awards Ceremony held in Rizal Park Hotel, Manila on December 4, 2017.

“The nomination was given to PDEA in recognition for its contribution to the FOI programs, progress and development,” said PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino.

Proclaimed winners after a year of FOI implementation nationwide were Department of Budget and Management (DBM), department category; Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), agency category; National Housing Authority (NHA), government-owned and/or controlled corporations (GOCCs) category; and University of the Philippines (UP), state universities and colleges (SUCs) category.

The awarding ceremony was organized by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) under Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin M. Andanar, the lead agency in the implementation of FOI in the Executive Branch. The PCOO has conducted a thorough nomination and screening process to determine the FOI awardees.

The FOI Awards aims to recognize the notable contributions of government departments and attached agencies, including GOCCs, SUCs, and local government units (LGUs), to the growth of the FOI program.

“Nomination alone is a distinction itself. We are privileged to be recognized as one of the government organizations in upholding the people’s right to information on matters of public concern,” Aquino said.

Guests who attended the event were Defense Secretary , Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Transportation Secretary , and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

Other speakers in the event were Executive Secretary , House of Representatives Public Information Chair Congresswoman Bernadette Herrera-Dy, and FOI Program Director and PCOO Assistant Secretary Kristian Ablan.

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