Transparency Seal of Good Governance
In compliance with Sec 104 of the General Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2023, Sec. 104 is the Transparency Seal provision to wit:
SEC. 104 TRANSPARENCY SEAL.
To enhance transparency and enforce accountability, all agencies of the government shall maintain a Transparency Seal to be posted on their websites.
SYMBOLISM
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 of democratic virtue in the region.