In a rare occasion, four former Civil Service Chairpersons gathered together and shared their valuable thoughts and insights on reforming the Philippine bureaucracy in a forum held this January 22.
The forum, hosted by the National College of Public Administration and Governance of the University of the Philippines (UP-NCPAG) and the House of Representatives – House of the People Masters of Public Administration (MPA) Scholars and Public Administration (PA) 201 students, were able to bring together former CSC Chairs Hon. Patricia St. Tomas, Karina Constantino-David, Alma Corazon de Leon, and Ricardo Saludo as speakers.
NCPAG Dean Alex Brillantes, in referring to the 21st Diliman Governance forum as a venue to address the issue of strengthening the Philippine civil service as an agenda for reform through legislative action, expressed hope that the civil service will continue to serve as a bastion of continuity, integrity and competence.
David said, “one of the main reasons why the bureaucracy is so politicized is because the president appoints all those in the executive branch who have managerial positions. Therefore, because appointments are dependent on promotions most often than not, or are appointments from the outside, the entire process itself is politicized.”
According to David, to insulate the bureaucracy from politics, the appointing powers of the President should be limited.
Sto. Tomas said “strengthening the civil service is a work in progress” and “new things will always matter tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and to which one must dedicate energies and efforts.” She also stressed the need to provide appropriate human resource intervention to government employees such as scholarships, counseling and health programs. “Nagbibigay tayo ng scholarships sa mga magagaling na tao, but what do we do with people who don’t quite measure up to the challenge?,” Sto. Tomas said.
Saludo enumerated various programs and initiatives to strengthen the civil service implemented during his term. According to Saludo, “at the end of September last year, more than 4000 different offices, agencies, local governments, even state universities and colleges were compliant with the Anti-Red Tape Act, that is, they have streamlined their services, posted them in their offices, and adopted Anti-fixer campaigns as well as (put up) assistance desks in all their different offices.” He also emphasized the need to focus on human resource development.
De Leon emphasized the need to continue professionalizing the bureaucracy, systematize the civil service law and rules and accountability. “Gawin ang tama,” De Leon said. She also enumerated the following factors needed for the bureaucracy shared to her by Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher - streamline the bureaucracy; fight graft and corruption, and pay the civil servants well.
Different sectors were represented in the panel of reactors which was composed of House Committee Civil Service Chairman Rep. Raul Gonzales Jr., UP-NCPAG professor Dr. Oliva Domingo, COURAGE national president Mr. Ferdinand Gaite, and SVP Magdalena L. Mendoza of the Development academy of the Philippines.
Rep. Gonzales said he believes in the principle of merit and fitness and professionalizing the bureaucracy by depoliticizing appointments.
House Secretary General Marilyn Barua-Yap presented a compendium of legislative measures on the civil service system to the UP-NCPAG. According to Sec. Gen. Yap, “ang dangal po sa public service hindi manggagaling sa pagkilala ng iba, yun ay manggagaling sa pagka-alam natin na pinili natin magsilbi sa bayan. Pag pinili mo na magsilbi sa bayan, ayusin mo ang sarili mo. Be the difference and make a difference in public service.”
Gaite believed that government employees can become a potent force if organized.
Domingo brought up the possibility of exploring things that can be done outside of legislation.
