ACCOUNTABILITY

We always hear the phrase “public office is a public trust”. Ang ibig sabihin nito, may pananagutan tayo
sa taumbayan. Lahat ng ginagawa natin, ginagastos natin, isinasa-katuparan natin ay pananagutan natin
sa taumbayan. Sabi nga sa Panunumpa ng Lingkod Bayan: “Ang bawat sandali ay ituturing kong gintong
butil na gagawin kong kapaki-pakinabang. Lagi kong isasaalang-alang ang interes ng nakararami bago
ang sarili kong kapakanan.”

Working in government is different because we are not only looking out for ourselves or for our
organization. Our focus is delivering services for the benefit of our main clientele—the Filipino people. We
are primarily here to serve, and not to be served.

Kapag pinag-uusapan ang accountability in the context of public service, laging tutumbukin ang public
funds. This is especially a touchy topic in a country like ours kung saan mas nakararami ang namumuhay
below poverty line, at mataas pa ang buwis at presyo ng mga bilihin.

Ang isyu ng korupsyon ay damang-dama ng ordinaryong Pilipino sa kanyang bulsa. Kaya

Needless to say, we will always be answerable to our own actions. When that time comes, I hope we will
be able to account for what we have done truthfully and straightforwardly

"The web of corruption has different layers, many tentacles, and may spread like a virus if not contained.
If we all do our little part, however, we create opportunities to nip corrupt practices in the bud."

TRANSLATING ETHICS, INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABILITY INTO CSC’S WORK

Now that I have briefly discussed ethics, integrity, and accountability, let me share with you what the CSC
has been doing to create a working environment that promotes these three principles.

HR INITIATIVES

The basic idea we have at the CSC is that good people equals good governance. Hence, our focus now
is on strategic human resource and organization development or HR/OD, and through this we are able to
provide technical assistance and developmental interventions for the optimum performance of
government agencies.

After streamlining our programs, we have introduced five (5) HR initiatives. We have the Program to
Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management or PRIME-HRM that aims to
upgrade the maturity level of HR systems in government agencies to make them at par with global HR
standards. We also have the Competency-Based Recruitment and Qualification System or CBRQS that
gauges both applicants and employees not just on the basis of their education, experience, training, and
eligibility, but on a set of required competencies as well.

Through the Leadership and Coaching Program or LCP that we have, we adopt the coaching approach to
help our human resource get over hurdles and challenges in their career. Meanwhile, the Competency-
Based Learning and Development Program or CBLDP directly addresses the problem of competency
gaps through trainings and HR interventions, preparing individuals as their agencies upgrade their
maturity level. Lastly, we have the Strategic Performance Management System or SPMS – a performance
evaluation system that links individual performance to organizational performance.
The CSC’s HR initiatives are meant to help both individual and organization reach their maximum
potential. By focusing on HR/OD interventions, we are fulfilling our role as the Philippine government’s
premier HR institution and helping agencies nationwide to efficiently reach their goals.

"Kaya binabantayan naming maigi ang mga frontline services. Naniniwala akong hindi na kailangan pang
ipaliwanag ang konsepto ng “good governance” sa taumbayan – mas mahalagang maramdaman nila ito sa
sarili nila, kahit mula lamang sa pagkuha ng lisensya o pasaporte, sa pagbayad ng government fees, o sa
pakikipag-usap sa mga lingkod bayan."

ANTI-RED TAPE ACT OR ARTA OF 2007

Aside from offering the HR initiatives, we have also been running several programs that address other
problems in good governance. The CSC spearheads the implementation of Republic Act No. 9485, better
known as the Anti-Red Tape Act or ARTA. Under this law, we battle red tape by checking government
service offices and evaluating how fast and efficient they are in responding to the needs of their clients.
ARTA requires government agencies to display their Citizen’s Charter—a document that details the
process flow of frontline transactions as well as the estimated time and fees involved. It also requires the
display of Anti-Fixer Campaign materials as well as the establishment of the Public Assistance and
Complaints Desk or PACD.

We remain vigilant in ensuring compliance with the law through monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
One is the ARTA Watch – our surprise visit to government service offices nationwide to check how their
frontline transactions are faring. I, together with Commissioners Robert S. Martinez and Nieves L. Osorio,
have led different ARTA Watch teams in doing surprise visits in Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
We talk to clients and get their opinion or comment about the quality of service given them. ARTA Watch
reports have helped us greatly in determining the areas for improvement in terms of frontline services.

We also have the ARTA Report Card Survey or RCS through which we rank government service offices
as Excellent, Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, or Fail based on their performance in frontline transactions
and level of compliance with ARTA provisions. Those with Excellent ratings are recognized with the
Citizen Satisfaction Center Seal of Excellence award after validation, while those who failed will be
subjected to the Service Delivery Excellence Program or SDEP—the CSC’s intervention to help agencies
improve their frontline services.

Since frontline transactions are the very basic touchpoint of government and its citizens, we consider this
a most important site to focus on. This is where the people’s impression of government is cemented. Here
is where the principles of ethics, accountability, and integrity are played out. More importantly, this is
where we have the best opportunity to stop corruption.

Kaya binabantayan naming maigi ang mga frontline services. Naniniwala akong hindi na kailangan pang
ipaliwanag ang konsepto ng “good governance” sa taumbayan – mas mahalagang maramdaman nila ito
sa sarili nila, kahit mula lamang sa pagkuha ng lisensya o pasaporte, sa pagbayad ng government fees, o
sa pakikipag-usap sa mga lingkod bayan.

DISCIPLINE (CASES)

We also focus on discipline and rewards as a means to mold a competent and highly motivated
workforce. As a quasi-judicial body, the CSC hears administrative cases. We have committed to deciding
70% of the administrative cases within 40 days from the time the case is ripe for resolution. We have
exceeded this target in 2013, and we would like to meet or even surpass our target of 95% by 2015. This
means disciplinary actions are efficiently imposed on erring officials and employees. As justice is served,
ethics, integrity, and accountability are preserved.

We also released the new Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth or SALN form after a series of
consultations with various government offices and employee groups. The new form is simpler in order to
avoid confusion, and there are corresponding guidelines on how one should fill out the form. We continue
to recognize the importance of the SALN as a tool to deter corruption in government. Thus, we deem it
necessary to continue fine-tuning the form to make filling it out easier, but still having the needed “alarm”
indicators to determine illegally acquired wealth of public officials and employees. We also want it
simplified because we don’t want token compliance among public officials and employees.

REWARDS (HAP/PLBi)

Aside from promoting discipline, we continue to enhance our recognition programs. We have the Honor
Awards Program or HAP, under which we hold the annual Search for Outstanding Public Officials and
Employees. The award categories under HAP are the highest recognition that state workers can get
throughout their career. The awards are conferred by the President of the Republic at the Malacañan
Palace.

We also have the Pamanang Lingkod Bayan or PLBi program, through which we honor those who have
offered their lives for the service of the Filipino people. More than just recognizing the many heroic and
inspiring men and women in government who personify the spirit of public service, the Commission also
sees the need to acknowledge those civilian public servants who risked their lives, died while in the
pursuit of their respective functions, or were killed in the line of duty. Under the PLBi, we are able to give
cash assistance and scholarship grants to their loved ones left behind.Through these programs, we are
able to take care of the 1.4 million-strong government workforce, guiding and encouraging them to pursue
public service excellence at all costs.

INSPIRING DBP TO DO THE SAME/CLOSING

As the country’s premiere development financial institution, the Development Bank of the Philippines is at
the forefront of safeguarding the country’s economic standing. Since development banking is especially
needed in developing countries like ours, you have the impetus for exercising ethics, integrity, and
accountability in the name of good governance.

Handling development financing, treasury, trust, trade, investment, and deposits may open up
opportunities to engage in less than moral activities, but remember that your actions will always echo in
the performance of the institution, and in the country’s economic growth.

I have explained in bold strokes how we uphold the principles of good governance. However, this is not
something that only one institution can shoulder. If it takes a whole army to fan the flames of corruption,
then it will also take a whole army to quench it. Kaagapay namin ang bawat ahensya, kasama na ang
DBP, sa pagtaguyod ng isang matatag, tapat, at epektibong gobyerno na mapagkakatiwalaan ng
taumbayan. I hope everyone here in corporate governance will likewise be committed in this goal.

I am indeed grateful for the opportunity you have given me to speak with you today and share with you
the CSC’s experience in promoting ethics, integrity, and accountability for good governance. I look
forward to hearing wonderful achievements of the DBP in the future, but most importantly, how it has
committed to good governance. Thank you and mabuhay ang DBP!