Rehom P.

Pimentel January 18, 2014

BPAG 4-1

Civil Service System
What shall I do if I became the Civil Service Commission Chairman to keep the Philippine Civil
Service System out from Politicization?

The civil service system is composed of all government officers and employees who are
bounded by different laws and regulation formulated by the state in order to promote morale,
efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness and competitiveness in service delivery to
the people. That idealism is the core principle of all officers and employees working in the
government, the principle that is created is in favor to the people.
Given the great mandate coming from the state for the promotion of general welfare, still
the personnel, especially those traditional one, are still inclined to the negative image of
Bureaucracy. The system of Palakasan, Padrino, Brad/Sis and other system of corrupt
practices within the government institutions are still the primary source of dishonour of the
Government as a whole. The people find it hard to change the system of politicization that has
been a practice of many in the government. That is also the primary reason why most of us, even
those who are not on the field of Public Administration, are so eager to run for an elective
position, for them to have the absolute power to appoint their political constituents in certain
positions in the government such as their relatives, political alliances, brads and sis, etc.
The best solution that we could possibly offer to this ruined Civil Service System,
keeping it out from political influences and bringing back the confidence of the people to the
government institution, is a clear mechanism or policy that will discourage the intervention of
politics to public administration which is also known as Politics-Administration Dichotomy.
First thing that is needed to be done, is the creation of a new Civil Service System Ac and
abolishing the existing regulations or laws governing the Civil Service System, a new regulation
or mechanism that is applicable and suitable to the status quo.
There shall be a provision of the Civil Service System Act prohibiting the appointment of
anyone in the government without undergoing a series of process qualifying his/her eligibility to
the certain position he/she is applying for. The approval of said application shall not be vested to
the elected officer in that certain municipality, city, province, etc, but rather to the committee for
appointment created by the councillors composing of personnel who possessed the appropriate
knowledge or degree on the field of human resource management or public administration or
other related field of practices concerning the management of personnel. In the case of other
government institutions, such as National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Transportation
and Communication, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, etc, the approval of all
the appointment thereon shall be vested to the specific division or committee responsible to the
management of personnel. All other aspects of personnel administration, such as promotion shall
also be vested by them. This mechanism shall include all the positions in the government except
those being occupied by means of election. This will lessen the politicization of the civil service,
since it is not the ideal role of the elected officials. The selection of best person to occupy certain
position in the government should not be covered by their responsibility anymore for they are
supposed to serve the public and make decisions or policy for the betterment of the people.
Creating a new mechanism on Civil Service System from the hiring and up to the
retirement of employee and officers in all non-elective positions shall promote a quality service
to everyone especially to the clientele. This mechanism will surely help return back the trust and
confidence of the people towards government bureaucracies and bringing back the harmony
among the government personnel taking out into consideration the negative bureaucratic
behaviour brought by extreme politicization. At the end of the day, all government personnel
hiring including promotions will be based strictly on merit and fitness already and not on the
traditional ways which everyone of us are long time ago inclined to. And most importantly, this
will absolutely encourage or motivates fresh graduates, even those who are in private, who have
excellent qualification to enter in the government, thus, making it assured, that time will come,
the government will no more be regarded as corrupt, bloated, inefficient and politicized.