The City of Mati Information Office and the Davao Oriental Provincial Information Office were the recipient of the 1st Transparency Champion Award given by the five leading local newspapers in the Davao Region.
Mati City Information Officer Ben Jason Tesiorna was acknowledged by the Mindanao Times, the Mindanao Daily Mirror, SunStar Davao, SunStar Superbalita Davao, and Edge Davao for being βthe most consistent City Information Officer in the Davao Region for the year 2019β.
Davao Oriental Provincial Information Officer Karen Lou Deloso meanwhile grabbed the same award in the provincial category.
Antonio M. Ajero, Edge Davao publisher and considered as the Dean of Davao Media, said the two information officers have been consistent in their release of stories to the regional media thus contributing to the transparency of the local governments they serve.
Aside from the plaque of recognition, the two information officers also received gift cheques from the organizing committee.
Ajero said they hope to institutionalize the Transparency Champion Award to encourage all information officers to do more stories about their respective LGUs projects and activities so that the people would be aware.
He said that information officers are the front-liners in ensuring that the government is transparent and free of corruption and anomalies.
Tesiorna has been a journalist for more than two decades before assuming the post as information officer of the City of Mati July of this year.
Deloso meanwhile has been with the PIO for several years before having been appointed to head the said office.
Tesiorna credited City Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat for all the support in the operation of the Mati CIO the past six months.
He also thanked Mayor Michelle for creating the Mati City Information Department making the office a full-pledge department that is first in the Davao Region, if not the country.
Most of the Information Offices in the country are simply divisions under the control of the Office of the Mayor or the Governor.
