President Benigno S. Aquino III
assured on Monday that the international aid for the Philippines in
the wake of super typhoon "Yolanda" are being used properly and
efficiently with the launching of the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub
(FAiTH).
"Throughout my presidency, we
have always made it a point to abide by the pillars of good governance:
transparency, accountability, and integrity. It is in light of this that we are
launching “FAiTH,” which stands for Foreign Aid Transparency Hub. This can be
accessed through: http://www.gov.ph/faith,"
the Chief Executive said in his message read by Presidential Spokesperson Edwin
Lacierda during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday.
The government launched on Monday
the FAiTH website that is considered a groundbreaking web-based initiative that
will allow the public to monitor the status of foreign assistance to the
country in response to disasters and calamities.
"FAiTH is an online portal of
information on calamity aid and assistance, whether in cash or in kind,
received by the Philippines from nations and multilateral organizations, as
well as those coursed through our embassies abroad," the President said.
"Not only will FAiTH contain
detailed information on the help that has been given to us from our friends and
partners abroad; it will also track how these donations are used, if assistance
is to be coursed through government agencies," the President said.
"And I take this opportunity to
invite—and to encourage—international and local nongovernment organizations and
groups to use the FAiTH website, and stand with us in this effort to maximize
the transparency and efficiency of our collective efforts," he added.
The launch of FAiTH consists of
tracking foreign aid initially for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda,
and subsequently, for the victims of other calamities. The details of foreign
aid can be viewed individually, per donor country or organization; and they can
also be viewed as part of the full report.
"This is only one aspect of our
government’s response to Typhoon Yolanda. While helping our people recover from
the tragedy and rebuilding destroyed communities and infrastructure are our
foremost priorities, we also know that it is important to reinforce the
relationship we have with our people and with the international
community," the President stressed.
"We will do this by ensuring
that the aid and assistance pledged for Filipinos will be used only to benefit
Filipinos. Ultimately, FAiTH is more than a hub of information: it is an
expression of appreciation for the kindness of those who stand in solidarity
with our countrymen, and it is a continuation of our promise to the Filipino
people: we are here only to serve you," he said.
Tracking the status of foreign aid
will be undertaken by the FAiTH Team, composed of representatives from the
Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Budget and Management, the
Department of Finance, the Commission on Audit, the Department of Social
Welfare and Development, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council, the Presidential Management Staff, and the Office of the Presidential
Spokesperson-Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office.
PND (pcoo)