From the Author of
Civil Service
“To put the world right in order,
first put the nation in order;
to put the nation in order,
first put the family in order;
to put the family in order,
we must first cultivate our
personal life;
we must first set our hearts right.”
----Confucius
Death Anniversary
14 November 1984
Zamboanga City’s
CESAR
CLIMACO
Integrity. Courage.
Service.
30 Years in Public
Service
Before the Second World War, he
served as aide to the Davao city
mayor, then as justice of the peace
covering the Sulu towns of Parang,
Maimbung, Pata, Tapul and Siasi.
After World War II, he served as
secretary to the mayor of
Zamboanga City. Then he ran for the
city council, was elected and served
as councilor for four years. He won
as city mayor of Zamboanga City.
In 1962 and 1963, he served
as customs commissioner
and administrator, and
presidential assistant on
community development,
respectively.
He was again elected
Zamboanga city mayor from
1980 and 1984. He spent a
total of 30 years in public
service.
Advocacy. Action.
Availability.
Climaco was known for his handson leadership, exceptionally sharp
wit, and for taking a stand against
injustice. Climaco was always
there where the action was: a fire, a
shooting, a bombing or a grenade
throwing. He was accessible to his
constituents and he mediated disputes
between warring groups, often at great risk
to his own life.
Climaco openly denounced
the imposition of martial law
in 1972, saying it robbed
Filipinos of their basic rights and liberties.
He made a memorable vow
that he would leave his hair uncut until Martial
Law was lifted. When Marcos announced the
lifting of martial law in 1981, he dismissed it
as a “sham” and kept his hair uncut.
Courage. Rage. And More
Courage.
Climaco’s colorful life was cut short on 14
November 1984, when he was shot down
as he was leaving from an inspection of a
burned-down dancehall. A bullet from a.45
caliber pistol hit him
in the nape. eyewitnesses.
A five-hour procession
accompanied the
mayor’s burial. Flower
petals were thrown
from hovering
helicopters. Hundreds
of thousands came,
many holding placards
and streamers
protesting the killing.
The killing remains
unsolved.
Cesar Climaco “Integrity Park”
Some Current Usage
of “Integrity”
‘integrity of the data base program’ =
protected from the corrosive effects of
pernicious viruses
‘integrity of infrastructure’ =the strength of
material and construction cannot be shaken
by earthquakes and other pressures,
‘territorial integrity’ =the boundaries of a
particular state is kept whole and under
control
‘integrity of creation’= harmony in the whole
created world of plants, animals, inanimate
objects, human beings and other spirits
Integrity is more than fighting
corruption, more than honesty
1. Discernment: Finding out what is true.
“Hanapin at harapin ang totoo.”
2. Commitment: Doing what is right.
“Gawin ng tama.”
3. Pronouncement: Saying what is real.
“Magsabi nang tapat.”
Integrity by Staying in Public
Post
Why stay in your public post when you see
corruption going on?
1. Your motivation is to reform from the inside.
Oath of office is a promise to be fulfilled.
2. You believe you are effective in a particular
role or office.
Note: Check the truth of the two assumptions.
Beware of self-deception.
Integrity by Resigning
Why leave the office? In some cases, the way of
integrity is to resign from your position.
• Personal commitment and stamina.
• Obligations of particular office have changed.
• One is no longer effective or listened to.
Note: It is good to keep resigning as an option.
One must not always resort to excuses, such
as “following orders” or “wala akong
magagawa.”
Integrity by Whistleblowing
and Truth-Telling
Why should a person risk job and life to expose
anomalies?
1. Right motivation: justice and the common good,
not personal vendetta
2. Explored regular forums for airing complaints.
3. Technical and spiritual preparation.
Note: Please see “Aha! Citizens Primer on
Whistleblowing”
Living the Meaning of Public Service
Sense of truth and justice
“
Hindi ko matiis na wala akong ginagawa
sa harap-harapang pandaraya!
”
Living the Meaning of Public Service
“
Love of country
Ngayong nasa panganib ang buhay ko,
kahit maliit ang sweldo ko,
mas damang-dama kong
mahal ko pala ang bayan ko!
”
Living the Meaning of Public Service
Hope in humanity
“
Kaya nga ako nagsusumbong,
dahil kahit papaano, umaasa ako
na may katarungan pa rin
sa ating sistema
at may natitira pa ring
mabubuting kapwa-tao!
”
Living the Meaning of Public Service
Concern for the common good
“Kung para sa sarili ko lang,
eh bakit pa ako papasok sa gulo?
Pagmamalasakit sa nakararami,
doon ako dinadala
ng ginagawa ko!”
Living the Meaning of Public Service
Faith in action
“
Kumakapit na lang ako
sa pananampalataya sa
Diyos/kay Allah
na nakakakita ng lahat!
”
Living the Meaning of Public Service
“
Deep love of family
Ginagawa ko ito dahil
sa pagmamahal ko
sa aking mga anak,
kahit apektado
sila sa nangyayari.
Sana balang araw,
maiintindihan din
nila ako!
Living the Meaning of Public Service
Personal conversion
“
Inaamin ko naman
na hindi rin ako ganun kalinis.
Pero kasama na ito
sa aking pagbabagong-loob
at pagbabangong-dangal!
”
How have I changed
as a person since
I took a public post?
What do people who
really know me tell
me about myself?
(“Iba ka na talaga!” or
“Ikaw na ikaw pa rin
yung nakilala namin
noon.”)
What kind of joy do
I experience in my
work? Kalipay?
How do I express
it? How do I
sustain it?
What are my fears in
my public office?
What are my
insecurities?
To whom do I share
my fears and
insecurities?
Do I pray? How?
How important is
religious faith
in my personal life?
In my public
service?
I look at my house.
What does my
house say about
me as a public
servant?
…My car?
…My recreation?
…My office?
…My gun?
How do I improve my
self?
When was the last time I
read a whole book?
What new skills have I
learned the past year?
What new ideas am I
developing? What do I
do to help me make
good analysis?
How do I feel about
my body?
My health? What is
my form of
relaxation?
How is my body
related to my
job as public
servant?
How do I feel
about my
lifestyle?
What does my
lifestyle say
about my
principles?
About my
priorities?
How do I feel about the lifestyle of my
family? My spouse? My kids? My
relatives?
How does the lifestyle of my relatives
and friends affect my decisions as a
public servant?
How do I look at
gifts? How do I
classify them? How
am I affected
by them? To whom
do I owe “utang
na loob”?
Does my office promote a culture of
efficiency, transparency and service?
Or does it tolerate a culture of
mediocrity, ambiguity, and exclusion in
its design, formulation, implementation
monitoring, and evaluation of programs
and projects, especially for the poor?
Do I do benchmarking based
on award-winning practices?
How do I show
appreciation for my
people’s strength of
character?
Was there a point
when I took advantage
of their weakness?
Do I have unexplained wealth? (Or
unexplained poverty?) How do I
explain it to myself?
Is there anything in what I have done
or what I am doing right now that could
be a source of scandal in the future?
Can I imagine its impact on my family
and constituency?
Do I think of death? How do I feel
about death? What if death becomes
part of my work as public servant?
How many decisions have I made
because of fear of death?
Do I have a
personal vision for
my people?
Is this vision
aligned with their
expressed needs
and interests?
Who is my model in
public leadership?
What would really give
meaning to my life as a
public servant?
Will I become the model
of integrity in my
children’s eyes? What
do I really want to leave
as my legacy?
INTEGRITY REFLECTION
What are the lights and shadows
in my life as a public servant?
What supported my life of
integrity?
What posed as challenge to my
life of integrity?
Ano yung magaan sa kalooban?
Ano ang mabigat sa kalooban?
Spirituality as Joy of Public Service
SPIRITUALITY is not standard piety or
prayer. It has something to do with the
spirit, with what gives you life, and what
gives meaning to your life. It is the
fountain of values, of one’s principles, of
one’s relationship with something --- or
Someone --- that goes beyond the
narrowness of self-interest.
The opposite of spirituality is not
materialism, but lifelessness, fear of the
truth, lack of energy to pursue what is
just; a wasted life.
Spirituality as Joy of Public Service
SPIRITUALITY is usually accompanied by
inner joy and freedom that comes from living
in the light of truth, not in cowardice; in the
capacity to sacrifice, not in insistence of
selfishness. When applied to integrity in
public service, it draws out the noble in the
human person. Those who have experienced
this kind of love would recognize that this is at
the heart of being human --- dangal ng
pagpapakatao at pakikipagkapwa-tao. We
know its opposite: walang dangal, walang
kapwa-tao; WALANG KABUHAY-BUHAY!
TAGAGISING
Pag araw ay nasilip
Titindig yaring manok
Dadagukan ang dibdib
Saka lang titilaok!
Aba at may umasabay
Dumadagok, sumisigaw!
Hindi lahat pala’y himbing
Kay rami nang ngayo’y
gising!