MODULE FOUR:
Organization and Structure of the Philippine Bureaucracy
The sovereignty resides in the citizens and all power emanates from them. From the inception
of the Philippine Public Administration, it dealt with the delivery of goods and services to the
citizens and the management of government operations through the executive branch and its
constitutional bodies as well as other government instrumentalities, the legislative and the
judiciary branches of the government.
Throughout the streams of public administration, its scope and focus keep on changing with a
designated particular set of concepts and features in order to have a governance that would
entail accountability, transparency, citizen participation and equity.
In the traditional public administration, focus then is on the compliance on the rules and
regulations, management of staff functions involving personnel, processes and structures and
the effective and efficient allocation and use of government resources with the objective of
improving governmental management. The civil service system is based on merit and
accountability is mainly to the government leaders and politicians. Personnel management
was distinct in important aspects from its private sectors counterpart.
The shift to the new public management emanates in the recognition of the provision of
alternative delivery mechanisms and processes in providing goods and services. Management
practices in the private sectors became the source of the “public management” model (Pollitt,
1990) wherein rules and rigid procedures adopted business practices to improve efficiency
and service quality, a combination of economic and public choice theories. Some of its
features are responding to the needs and demands of the consumers while ensuring quality
service. Thus, consumer satisfaction becomes its performance indicator.
Public administration and governance is more responsive to the needs and demands of the
citizens and its stakeholders in providing quality goods and services. It acknowledges the role
of the public and private sectors, the civil society and their relationships in attaining a
peaceful, just and prosperous society. The citizens are involved in the process through coproduction of services, incorporate the views of the citizen into the delivery service processes
and exploring its structures including decentralized form and other forms of linkages.
Throughout the years, the Presidents in the various phases of the history initiated the
alteration in the structure of the bureaucracy through reorganizations with the main goals of
achieving effectiveness, efficiency, and economy in its operations complementing concerns
in making the bureaucracy responsive to socio-economic development, ease of doing
business while meeting the exigencies of the service.
The usual emphasis is on decentralization, the personnel administration, fiscal administration
and organization and management.
To further strengthen the bureaucracy and decentralized the organization, the Local
Government Code of 1991 was passed to introduce the mechanisms that enable the people to
have a role in the process of governance and help ensure the responsiveness and
accountability of local institutions.
The public servants, being the backbone for the implementation of programs and services and
the source of ideas, were required to support the system by giving them motivations like fair
and reasonable pay, suitable working conditions and environment, respect in the institution
and pride in their work, continuous learning opportunities, respect from elected officials,
trusts from fellow citizens through professionalization and approval of salary standardization
laws.
Regular performance evaluation and audits were conducted to monitor the status and to
promote and enhance transparency in the agencies.
In strengthening financial strategies to attract investors and assured them of a secured and
competitive investments safeguarded by accountable public officials, public corporate sector
or public enterprises, known as “GOCCs” were formed and established prior to 1972. This
covers areas in financing, public utilities, agricultural development, educational institution,
manufacturing and retail industries, real estate and other enterprises which would enhance
public accountability; promote efficiency in the use and allocation of resources; instill
financial discipline and promote self-reliance; and integrate plans and programs to national
goals and requirements (Executive Order [EO] 236, 1987). There is a need to balance
managerial autonomy and accountability as GOCCs became a “major arenas for the
consolidation of economic and political power (Dytianquin,1985,p3). They were abused and
used as “laundry services and tools to transfer public resources to the hands of cronies and the
private few” (Briones, 1985, p.372)
The government resorted to privatization to pave the way to a “strategy for governance” to
divest, dispose and liquidate non-performing and nonrelevant government assets and
corporations and rationalization so that GOCCs can improve the delivery of services to the
people and attain long-term sustainability through performance audit.
Citizen participation plays an important role in the development of government policy and
provision of government services because the citizens are not only the consumers of public
goods and services but also the holders or bearers of democracy. Accessibility to public
services, sense of belongingness, and trust in the government can effectively connect the
government with the citizens and help them grow.
By law, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) is supposed to appoint people “on the basis of
merit” and “must be free from political influence.” Aside from developing a professional civil
service, how can the public fully trust the public servants and lure other professionals to work
at the government?
Citizen participation as discussed in the reading materials, promotes accountability,
transparency, and equity, the guiding principles of responsive governance. The story of the
CCAGG proved that monitoring the programs and activities of public officials empowers the
poor that provides them the opportunity to break their silence and work for the common
good. It forced the issue of transparency and accountability in the government (Sumangil,
2006). How do we continue such practices so that institutions may be challenged to innovate
and strategize to promote genuine citizen participation?
Since the Spanish colonization, the bureaucracy has been fighting for corruption and
inherited since time immemorial. This characteristic of the Filipinos nullify the legal
purposes of the laws on Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices Act (RA 3019) and Republic Act
11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of
2018. How can the bureaucracy curtail these practices when strict adherence is next to
impossibility?
REFERENCES: Ma. Oliva Z. Domingo, "Reforming the Bureaucracy: Can Citizens
Participate"; Ledivina Carino, "State, Market, and Civil Society in Philippine Public
Administration"; Maria Fe Villamejor-Mendoza, "Enhancing Corporate Governance and
Reforms in the Public Sector" ; Wilhelmina L. Cabo, "Exploring Accountability Initiatives in
Philippine Local Governance"