What the Transparency Seal means
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.
Source: Section 7.0, National Budget Circular No. 542, August 29, 2012.
Transparency Seal requirements
- I. Agency's Mandate, Vision, Mission, and List of Officials
- II. Budget and Financial Accountability Reports
- III. Modifications made pursuant to the general and special provisions of RA 12116
- IV. Projects, Programs and Activities, Beneficiaries, and Status of Implementation
- V. People's Freedom to Information (FOI) Manual
- VI. Annual reports on the status of income authorized by law to be retained and/or used and be deposited outside of the National Treasury