THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
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OF THE PHILIPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article In, Section 7 provides that "The right of the people to 
information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and to 
documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to 
government research data used as b asis for policy development, shall b e afforded the citizen, 
subject to such limitations as may be provided by law." 
Access to government information allows citizens to monitor government actions. The 
public should be provided with timely, complete, equitable and affordable access to government 
information. This bill seeks to improve government information dissemination procedures and 
provide govement offices with modem information technology. 
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THIRTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC ) 
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OF THE PHILPPINES 
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First Regular Session 
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S.B. No. 
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Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
AN ACT 
TO IMPROVE PUBLIC DISSEMINATION OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION 
Be it enacted by the Senate .and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. - 
This Act may be cited as the “Improvement of Information 
Access Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - 
It is the policy of the State to inform the people 
on matters of public c oncem. Access to o fficial records, documents, and p apers p ertaining to 
official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for 
policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided 
by law. To enhance this right, government agencies should improve information dissemination 
procedures and be provided with modem information technology. 
SECTION 3. Information Dissemination Policies. - Each subdivision, agency and 
instrumentality of the government, including government owned or controlled corporations 
(hereinafter referred to as “departments” or “agency”) shall prepare by not later than February 1 
of each year and make freely available to the public upon request and at no charge, a report 
which describes the information dissemination policies and practices of the department, 
including- 
(1) plans of the department to introduce new information products and services or 
discontinue old ones; 


(2) efforts of the department to develop or implement standards for file and record 
formats, software query command structures, user interfaces and other matters that make 
information easier to obtain and use; 
(3) process of the department in creating and disseminating comprehensive 
indexes and bibliographies of efforts conducted with other agencies; 
(4) the methods to be used by the public for accessing information, including the 
modes and outlets available to the public; 
(5) provisions for protecting access to records stored with technologies that are 
superseded or obsolete; 
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(6) methods used to make the public aware of information resources, services, and 
products; and 
(7) a summary of the comments received form the public under the succeeding 
section in the year preceding the report, and the response of the department to those comments. 
SECTION 4. Publication. - Not later than February 1 of each year, each department 
shall publish in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation, and provide i n  such other 
manner as will notify users of information of the department, a notice of- 
(1) the availability of the report prepared under the preceding section; and 
(2) a period of not less than 90 days for submission hy the public of comments 
regarding the information dissemination policies and practices of the department or 
establishment, including comments regarding- 
(a) the types of information the department or establishment collects and 
disseminates; 
(b) the methods and outlets the department or establishment uses to store 
and disseminate information; 
(3) the prices charged by the department or establishment or such outlets, for the 
information; 
(4) the validity, reliability, timeliness and usefulness to the public of the 
information. 


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SECTION 5. Public Hearings. - 
Comments received under this section by a department 
shall be available for inspection to the public. Each year the deparhnent or establishment shall 
provide a reasonable opportunity for dialogue between responsible agency officials and 
interested members of the public, including through hearings and informal forums, regarding. 
both proposed and existing policies, procedures and mechanisms for disseminating information 
under this Act and for otherwise implementing this Act. 
SECTION 6. Discontinuation of Information Service. - Before discontinuing an 
information product or service, an agency shall- 
(1) publish i n  at 1 east two ( 2) newspapers o f g eneral c irculation, or provide by 
other means adequate to inform users of information of the agency, a notice of a period of not 
less than one hundred twenty days (120) days for submission by the public of comments 
regarding that discontinuation; 
(2) include i n  that n otfce an explanation o f t he reasons for the discontinuation; 
and 
(3) consider comments received pursuant to the notice. 
SECTION 7. Dissemination of Information.-Each 
agency shall- 
(1) Disseminate information in diverse modes and through appropriate outlets that 
will reinforce statutory requirements for depository distribution, as well as offering other 
channels of distribution, with adequate documentation software, indexes, or other resources that 
will permit and broaden public access to government information; 
(2) disseminate information in a manner that ensures the timeliness, usefulness, 
and reliability of the information for the public; 
(3) store and disseminate information products and services in standardized 
record formats; and 
(4) use depository libraries, national computer networks, and other distribution 
channels that improve and assure free or low cost public access to government information. 


SECTION 8. Prohibition as to Charging of Costs.-- 
(1 )Except as specifically authorized by statute, an agency may not- 
(a) charge to depository libraries the costs of distributing information 
products and services; 
(b) charge more than the incremental cost of distributing an information 
product or service regardless of channels utilized by the agency; or 
(c) charge any royalty or other fee for any use or redissemination of 
government information. 
(2) The incremental cost of distributing an information product or service does not 
include any portion of the cost of collecting, organizing or processing information disseminated 
through the product or service. 
SECTION 9. Model Pevfovmance Standards. - The Director General of the Philippine 
Information Agency shall issue model performance standards for providing access to agency 
records under the preceding section by not later than one (1) year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
SECTION 10. Separability Clause.-If 
any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
valid and subsisting. 
SECTION 1 1. R epealing Clause.-Any 
1 aw, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent 
with, the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly. 
SECTION 12. Effectivity Clause.-This 
Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved. 
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