SLSU FOI Head Joins 2025 FOI Summit
Rey G. Comabig, Head of the Southern Leyte State University Freedom of Information (FOI) under the Public Affairs and Strategic Communications (PASCOM) Office, participated in the 2025 FOI Summit held on November 27 at The Bellevue Manila, Filinvest City, Muntinlupa.
Anchored on the theme “KALIKASAN: Knowledge Access for Local and International Key Actions on Sustainability, Accountability, and Nature,” the summit gathered government officials, advocates, and stakeholders to explore how transparency and open information contribute to environmental protection and sustainable governance.
The keynote address was delivered by Joan Carling, Executive Director of Indigenous Peoples Rights International and recipient of the UN Environment Programme’s Champion of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award.
Two master presentations highlighted the government and private sector’s efforts toward environmental transparency. DENR Assistant Secretary for Administration Ruth Manigos-Tawantawan discussed “Policies to Impact: The Government’s Drive Toward Green Transparency,” while GCash Head of Sustainability CJ Alegre presented “Tech Meets Trees: How GForest is Powering a Greener Philippines.”
The summit also featured two panel discussions. The first, “Unlocking Environmental Data: The Role of Access to Information in Climate Awareness and Policy Making,” examined how accessible climate information shapes public action. The second panel, “Bridging the Gaps: Strengthening Access to Information from the Ground Up,” focused on improving information flow to communities.
Four breakout sessions followed:
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Paving the Future for Transparency: Takeaways from the Right to Information Implementation Assessment and the 2025 International Day for Universal Access to Information.
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Information Barriers: The State of Vulnerable Groups in the Philippines.
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Mapping the Gaps: A Look at the National Climate Data Governance of the Philippines.
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Information as a Tool: The Case of Crop Farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet.
Comabig said the summit reinforced his commitment to environmental advocacy and public information work. “As an advocate for environmental conservation and protection and as someone who passionately creates online content to keep communities informed about weather updates, the Summit holds deep meaning for me. I gained insights and lessons that I’m excited to bring back home and use to serve our people even better,” he said.
