By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
From what I have seen our beloved government has been investing a lot to come up with a competent citizenry. This will mean better public service and a faster rate pf development. We are talking here of competence, efficiency and initiative. The big question is why do these appear to have deteriorated over the years?
Examples of such huge investments are the putting up and maintenance of state colleges and universities. There are a lot of them.
Another is the funding for scholarship programs for undergrads where brainy kids are selected and given generous stipends to enable them to finish chosen courses for them to contribute a lot more to the betterment of the country.
There are also programs for graduate students who will specialize here and abroad for the same purpose.
Even those who are already in the government service may also avail of trainings like continuing education to prevent their brains from calcifying or for further advancement. An example that readily comes to mind is the Development Academy of the Philippines.
Why are such programs not delivering the planned effects?
To focus our attention, let us consider the UP Colleges of Agriculture and Forestry. Since time immemorial, these had been coming up with competent and, presumably, efficient graduates
Many of the fresh graduates would come out misty eyed with a lot of their idealism intact. They would join government agencies or institutions brimming with enthusiasm. After a considerable time an important change occurs in between their ears. They would then be able to relate to the words disgust and low morale. For they would have found out any career advancement or promotion to choice positions in government was not based on the merits. Sometimes not even on common sense or informed, much less, educated evaluation.
What is important is for them to have an MBA—”my backer ako.” And politicians are only too willing to provide the backing. Then the government officer will be at the politician’s beck and call. Illegal acts to the prejudice of others and government would be the normal repayment.
Such would be easy to check if the problem is limited but it goes all the way to the top. To the extent politicians can cause not just a government employee’s career stagnation or being fired. Or they are ordered transferred to Tawi-tawi or Batanes. Or to other places considered the bureaucracy’s Siberia. In short, those who resist would realize the meaning of hell.
Knowing the kind of hold they have on government employees and officers, politicians would be so arrogant. They would even shout or insult government employees or officers in public if they don’t go by the formers’ bidding no matter how illegal or corrupt, or immoral. There would be no other choice but meekness particularly when you have invested your best years in government or just waiting for your retirement. Or when fighting back is not an option as when it would be too late to start over.
So, incompetence, inefficiency, lack of initiative and corruption in our beloved country will continue.
I am not a theoretician. I have seen all of these. I have experienced fighting back in a sequestered company and dealing with the consequences. It would, however, be another long story.
Thus, so many times when some government officers were introduced to me with emphasis on their ranks, sometimes as high as being a cabinet secretary or a director, my consistent reaction was always a hidden smirk and a comment always left unsaid—so you are stupid you can tolerate being so?**
