TO FOSTER more effective information dissemination, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has launched its new redesigned website at www.mmda.gov.ph.

Chairman Francis Tolentino said the reconstruction of the MMDA website is in line with the agency's renewed thrust to use technology in the pursuit of its mandate.

"The internet is a good medium to effectively communicate with the public. We intend to make full use of all available technologies and resources to deliver on time and up-to-date information to the public," Tolentino said.

The new website features eleven sections namely Main, News, Services, Projects, Legal Matters, Metro Manila Council, Photo Gallery, Careers, Contact Us, Frequently Asked Questions, and Transparent Governance.

Incorporated in the Main section is the new MMDA vision statement, latest news, and links to the social media tools used by the agency such as email, Google map of Metro Manila, Facebook, Twitter and MMDA News Channel on Youtube.

It also contains links to various government offices and agencies such as the website of the Office of the President, The Official Gazette, the Department of Public Works and Highways, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and the Asian Network of Major Cities.

The Photo Gallery section boasts of a more extensive compilation of photographs of the agency's most recent activities, while the section dedicated to the Metro Manila Council now shows the profile and contact information of the Metro Manila Mayors and Congressmen.

One recently added section is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) which addresses the most common inquiries by the public in relation to the agency's functions and other relevant subjects.

Currently, the FAQ section has articles on ten things that drivers should know, procedures in settling outstanding traffic citation tickets, updated traffic fines and penalties, and the revised rules on the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or number coding scheme.

The section on Transparent Governance, also a recent addition to the site and is still under construction, will contain invitations to bid for the agency's projects as well as contracts awarded to suppliers and service providers.

According to Tolentino, the public has responded warmly to the agency's efforts of communicating through social networking sites, as evident in the MMDA Twitter account, now regarded as the most active among government Twitter accounts with more than 9,000 followers after only less than a month since its launch.

It provides daily traffic updates, flood alerts, accident reports, and official announcements from the agency.