Concern about Government Employees and Officials

[edeline]

I am of high respect to those people who landed a job in public. It is such a difficult thing to land in public but I do't know how tough it is on others areas. In the area of teaching it is very difficult and I salute those teachers who landed a job on public.
There is always an oath taking when the person gets the position but what I am not sure if she is really putting into his/her heart what oath taking really means. I am thinking that maybe, he/she is just thinking of it as a compliance to take an oath but not really a service.

I think not just the officials in public should be respectful but all of us. I think they are just feeling proud of it of what is their position. There was a time when I needed to consult a doctor in our town. It was one o'clock which was suposedly the start of the work. I waited and waited, wow she was sleeping in her room and me waiting for two hours there. By the time she woke up, she seemed not happy of me being there. When I started to ASK some questions, I could really tell she wasn't please of me.

I am not happy everytime I am in a public establishment and when I am asking the staff they are not approachable. I want to reming them, hello you need to be approachable and being strict must be minimized.

BUt what I really hate most, is the Professional on Regulation Commission because the staff there are not friendly. I understand that they are busy but they must not raise up their tone of talking. I am always afraid to talk to the staff of the PRC, no escape because when I filed board examination,,there were lots of windows to be approached and asked. I needed to be very attentive and not ask again what she has said, or else,,,I will receive a very rising voice. The papers were nto being handed carefully, they were handing it over in a rush. As if you are not there plus their facial expression without a smile..

Just remember, you pay their wages with your taxes. They work for you!!!

We are paying taxes but we don't receive satisfaction of service. This Christmas season lots of government employees receiving gifts to expedite processing of permits. If others has nothing to give then delayed processing. Where is the justice here?

Yes we are paying taxes but we didn't get satisfaction in return which we should have supposedly. That is a bribe and it is not good. Lucky for those who have something to give but sorry for those who don't have which mostly belong to that. Justice? I don't observe that now and it seems that is ancient and maybe just a wish for us to have that again. Justice is often difficult to achieve now. There is under the table process, favouristism everywhere.

[Chas]

We are paying taxes but we don't receive satisfaction of service. This Christmas season lots of government employees receiving gifts to expedite processing of permits. If others has nothing to give then delayed processing. Where is the justice here?

Yes we are paying taxes but we didn't get satisfaction in return which we should have supposedly. That is a bribe and it is not good. Lucky for those who have something to give but sorry for those who don't have which mostly belong to that. Justice? I don't observe that now and it seems that is ancient and maybe just a wish for us to have that again. Justice is often difficult to achieve now. There is under the table process, favouristism everywhere.

Until the majority in the Philippines start to refuse to pay bribes and there is a backlash against those asking for bribes the situation will not improve.

If you are stopped because of a traffic violation and the policeman lets you pay less, but it goes in his pocket. It is easy to choose that option, but in doing so the culture of bribery continues unchecked and is seen as acceptable. Unfortunately I doubt it will improve in my lifetime which I find a very depressing thing to say.

[edeline]

We are paying taxes but we don't receive satisfaction of service. This Christmas season lots of government employees receiving gifts to expedite processing of permits. If others has nothing to give then delayed processing. Where is the justice here?

Yes we are paying taxes but we didn't get satisfaction in return which we should have supposedly. That is a bribe and it is not good. Lucky for those who have something to give but sorry for those who don't have which mostly belong to that. Justice? I don't observe that now and it seems that is ancient and maybe just a wish for us to have that again. Justice is often difficult to achieve now. There is under the table process, favouristism everywhere.

Until the majority in the Philippines start to refuse to pay bribes and there is a backlash against those asking for bribes the situation will not improve.

If you are stopped because of a traffic violation and the policeman lets you pay less, but it goes in his pocket. It is easy to choose that option, but in doing so the culture of bribery continues unchecked and is seen as acceptable. Unfortunately I doubt it will improve in my lifetime which I find a very depressing thing to say.

How I wish it will be so easy to stop bribery but not. Habit will always be a habbit. Maybe it will stop if there will be a strict law to be implemented. So easy to say, I will not do bribery but when no one is looking and somebody is handing over the money that is more difficult to refuse.

I remember one time when I was on a jeep and the driver stopped his jeep on the side. The traffic enforcer approaced the driver and charged him for picking the passenger at wrong time. They were charged for that. The traffic enforcer was being begged by the driver with his wife at his side to forgive them but said not. After that, what I could hear was the girl complaining and shouting to the man. "Maybe you think that I don't know you are accepting money. I knew it because somebody told me. Let me see if you will not be fired. I will go to the office and I will tell them", the wife said. The enforcer with bravery in himself just ignored what the woman said but I knew that deep inside with that wass fear that he will be kicked in the position.

[Edwin]

I was with my friend who purchased a lot of groceries at the mall grocery store in Dumaguete. H was under the impression that bribes were normal, accepted, and you have to pay bribes for anything you want in the Philippines. He needed to have his groceries picked up, and he went inside the police headquarters fairly near the mall. He attempted to bribe them to allow the 3 wheeler, with side cart to be able to pull up close to where he needed to get his groceries. He was reprimanded by some of them in the office. Others of them laughed at him. Some of them jokingly said, "Give the bribe to me!" He was told that if he had approached an individual police officer, then that person may have taken his bribe and allowed him to do what he wanted, but doing it in front of everyone, he was lucky that he did not get arrested and end up in jail. He was kind of embarrassed, but it was funny at the same time.

You mean to tell me that drivers in the Philippines can get traffic citations? The way they drive I am surprised that anything can be wrong with their driving!

Actually I'm sure there are things that drivers can get into trouble for in the Philippines. If people in the USA drove the way they do in the Philippines they would not drive one half mile without getting pulled over and fined for some kind of infraction. I'm not being critical, but their driving amazes me! I think you all know what I mean without giving examples. It seems to me that the person with the largest vehicle gets the right of way, and the person not caring whether his fenders get mashed has the best chance of getting ahead on the road. It is kind of funny because drivers in our country have to stay within the lanes, but drivers in the Philippines spend as much time on the road straddling the lane lines as they do staying in their lanes. One filipono told us that he would not ride a motor cycle in the Philippines because he had seen too many of his friends lose legs in accidents with motorcycles.

[crisipicada]

Respective Local Governments in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will implement a simplified new business permits and licenses registration process known as the Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS). This is a new and cutomer - friendly system that that provides a single location in the respective city or municipality and aims for better, more effective and efficient processing of business permits and licensses of their constituents, investors and local sectors in the area.

Please be informed also that the processing will be until January 20, 2011 and beyond the date schedule, penalties will be imposed.

Please visit the Bureau of Fire Protection for other necessary requirement for processing your permits.

In addition, Implementing Rules and Regulation of IRR 9514 otherwise known as The Fire Code of the Philippines, Section 7.0.1.2, -A, A strict observance of the requirement of fire safety measures for the issuance of Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) as a pre-requisite in the grant of and renewal of business, occupancy and other related permits/licenses. For this purpose, the Local Government Unit and/or other government agencies concerned shall refrain from issuing such licenses and/or permits without the applicant first securing and FSIC from the BFP;

Rule 9-B: Fire Safety inspection shall be conducted as a pre-requisite to grants of permits and/or licenses by local governments or other government agencies. No occupancy permit, business or permit to operate shall be issued without securing a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) from the City/Municipal FIre Marshal having jurisdiction.

Section 9.0.41 it states that: "Upon compliance of the fire safety requirements under Rule 10 of this IRR, a fire safety inspection certificate (FSIC) shall be issued by the BFP as a pre-requisite for the issuance of Business or Mayor's permit. Permit to Operate, Occupancy permit, PHILHEALTH Accreditation for Hospitals, DOH License to operate and other permits or licenses being issued by other government agencies.

[abufarsi]

Who could blame them?

I had a Filipino acquaintance who remarked to me in all seriousness that government workers gained 50% of their total income by FAILING to do the work they were originally paid to do, some, hundreds of times more than there salary.

But, if the discipline system is rigged in such a way that there are never punishments for stealing, why not steal? Everybody knows that the head of the ombudsman is picked by the president, and for sure he would not pick somebody who would see the president charged.

What did I read in the Philippine Enquirer a few years back? Some 268 cases of improper actions by government workers and a single case resolved,(who plead guilty) of those cases referred by the SB in a year. Not a single contested case heard and sent to jail.

Even for those who complain, the issues for the justice system is to resolve complaints rather than punish the offenders.

The real trouble rests with those governed, who really don't want a system where a uncle that is a... congressman... police major... mayor... could not resolve criminal wrong doing without jail time.

I freely admit that the system in place works well for most Filipinos. I also charge that it makes Filipinos poor, as, people in other countries who want justice, never have a uncle in government who can smooth the way for them, and thus, refuse to make substantial investments in the Philippines.

Truly, if I were to give aid to the Philippines it would be FBI agents to set up a systematic program where corruption was targeted, but operated by Filipinos themselves. But this will never happen as I am positive that mayors, congressmen, senators and even the president did not pay 10s of millions and even billions of pesos in a campaign just to have some independent judicial system make that investment a total loss.

For those of you who think that I am ragging on the Philippines, I will say that of the 156 UN recognized governments around the world, the Philippines is not at the bottom of the list. Corruption is a part of all governments, including mine.

[crisipicada]

Be serious with your respective work after all you are doing things for your self and it reflects who you are. Never mind what people say as long as you are true to your work, good work is always rewarding.