On July 2019, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) with support from the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), and other non-government partners kickstarted the DAGYAW Open Government and Participatory Governance Regional Town Hall Meetings 2019.
“Dagyaw”— a Hiligaynon term for “Bayanihan” is a series of regional dialogues which aims to provide an avenue for public discussion and real time engagement with senior government officials through a town hall session. This way, people at the local level can raise their issues close to home which can be brought directly to concerned government agencies and officials.
In addition, citizens can also experience the ease of public service delivery through a one-stop shop of frontline government services and national programs during the event. This includes the Freedom of Information (FOI) Booth which can help and assist the public to ask for government information through the Electronic FOI (eFOI) Portal or www.foi.gov.ph. FOI Officers are also on standby to respond to queries on the process and procedure with regard to the FOI Program.
The Dagyaw regional dialogues will run until the fourth week of September. Around 800 participants are also expected to participate in each Town Hall meeting with representatives coming from the civil society organizations, the academe, business sector, public sector unions, peoples organizations, local media, and regular citizens.