Theory and Practices in Public Administration

Chapter 4.
PROFILING THE
PHILIPPINE
ADMINISTRATIVE
SYSTEM
Previous Report
•Leaders of Philippine Administration
•Legal and Institutional Basis of Public
Administration
•Local Government Framework
•Constitutional Commissions
•National and Local Government Relations
•Political, Fiscal and Administrative Autonomy
•Trends and Development Efforts
•Administrative System
Topics
•Civil Service Career
•Ethics and the Public Service Management
and Good Governance
•Some Key Areas of Public Administration
•Challenges Towards Globalization Era
Civil Service Career Goals

Team

ople
Talent Pe
Civil Service Career
The admission to the civil service force in the
Philippines, like most democratic countries, is premised
on merits and fitness that the way to enter the
organization is through a competitive examination.

The examination may be taken either the traditional

way (testing) centers or through a computer-assisted
test system that allows for instantaneous results.
Civil Service Career
Skilled applicants applying for skilled positions have to take trade of test
with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. (RA 7796)

When an applicant passes the examination, he/she may apply to his/her

preferred office or agency where additional requirements may be
imposed.

Exemptions in taking the civil service examination:

•Positions that are policy determining (political appointees)
•Highly technical (scientists or professors)
•Primarily confidential (secretaries or drivers)
Civil Service Career
Civil Service Career
Civil Service Career

Tenure and Civil

Goals
Service Category Team

ople
Talent Pe
CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

Tenure and Civil Service “No officers or

Category employees of the
Civil Service shall be
A civil servant shall enjoy tenurial security until retirement removed or
(65 years of age) unless one is separated for just cause. suspended except
for a cause provided
The Labor Code provides for the following just causes: by law.”
1) Serious misconduct;
2) Willful disobedience of a lawful order;
3) Gross and habitual neglect of duty;
4) Fraud;
5) Willful breach of trust;
6) Commission of a crime against the person of the employer or any
immediate member of his family or his duly authorized representatives; and
7. Analogous causes.
 CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

Tenure and Civil Service Category

The Administrative Code provides the details of removal or
suspension and the Constitution guarantees payment upon Separation pay = (one
separation of some officers in the civil service. month salary) × (years of
service)
If the dismissal is due to a just cause, separation pay is not
required to be given to employees.

However there are career civil service employees The President is prohibited
separated from the service for different reasons: to remove those whose
tenure is guarantee by law
Reorganization – entitled to appropriate separation
or the Constitution.
pay
Coterminous employee
 CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

Tenure and Civil Service Category

The Department of Budget and Three Levels of Positions (Administrative Code of 1987)
Management (DBM) classifies
government positions and sets salary 1st Level Manual, Clerical, Custodial or Trades,
schedules, updating them based on the Positions Crafts Groups (SG 1-10)
Index of Occupational Services,
Technical and Professional Group,
Positions, Titles, and Salary Grades.
2nd Level those who have finished college
This ensures fair compensation and
Positions degrees with certain specialization (SG
clear role definitions within the public
11-24)
sector.
Art. XVII, Sec 18 provides: “At the earliest Executive Class, forms the
3rd Level
possible time, the Government shall increase government’s managerial corps (SG
the salary scales of other officials and Positions
25-33)
employees of the National Government.”
Civil Service Career

System of
Goals
Promotion Team

ople
Talent Pe
CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

RA 11466
System of Promotion Salary
Standardization
“Congress shall provide for the Law

standardization of compensation of
government officials and employees,
including those in the Government-Owned or
Controlled Corporations with original
charters, taken into account the nature of
the responsibilities pertaining to, and the
qualifications required for, their positions.”
CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

System of Promotion
The promotion system in the civil service
requires high qualifications and better In the past,
seniority was all
performance records. too an important
element for
promotion.
CSC gave extra premium on increasing
performance, allowing for what is known as
“deep selection” or the vertical movement of the
people to a higher notch not necessarily on the
basis of seniority but on better working
performance criteria.
CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

System of Promotion
A lateral system of entrance is allowed even for high positions, particularly
for second level positions, where the pool for selection is the entire
bureaucracy.

The choice for first level promotion usually revolves only among personnel of
a particular office.

Career executive service officers are appointed to the generic rank and
may be assigned anywhere for as long as there is no diminution of rank or
salary.
CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

System of Promotion
Civil Service Career

Civil Servants Movement

and Retirement Goals

Team

ople
Talent Pe
CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

Civil Servants Movement and

Retirement
Programs for HRD of the civil service employees in the
Philippines:
Subsidized education for scholars
Trainings and workshops for more specialized needs
Service orientations
Political civil values formation

They could also enjoy job enrichment, counselling and

other HRD interventions for additional skills.
CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

Civil Servants Movement and

Retirement
There is also the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) from the civil
service employees which is mandatory funding resource toward retirement
and pension payments.

In 1994, a law was passed that allowed the portability (conversion/transfer) of

social security benefits from the private sector to the public sector and vice
versa.
CIVIL SERVICE CAREER

Civil Servants Movement and

Retirement
GSIS offers various retirement programs that retiring members may choose from
depending on their age and length of service.
There are four different retirement laws to choose from:
1. RA 8291 (GSIS Act of 1997)
2. Presidential Decree (PD) 1146 (Pension or Cash Payment)
3. RA 1616 (“Take All” Benefit)
4. RA 660 (Magic 87)
Another law, RA 7699 (The Portability Law), affords members the right to combine
their services in the private and public sectors in order to meet the 15-year service
requirement for purposes of qualifying to pension benefits.
 Civil Service and
Public Administration
Civil Service and Public In the Philippines, many

Administration people are generally

unhappy with how civil
service functions are
Civil Service - the whole scope of bureaucracy managed.
with the employees who are charged with
administrative functions to execute the delivery
of public goods and services to the people.

Public opinion - the aggregate views, positions or

preferences of the significant population on any
given issue in the society that directly/indirectly
affects their lives.
Civil Service and Public Administration

Public Opinion on
Bureaucracy
CIVIL SERVICE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Opinion on Bureaucracy

Public opinion is the overall collection of individual beliefs shared with
government leaders. While it’s unlikely for everyone in a democracy to agree,
the views of the majority are usually considered important and acceptable.

Public opinion polls assess how satisfied people are with government policies
and officials. The results can shape government actions and programs. In the
Philippines, these polls reveal widespread dissatisfaction with the bureaucracy
due to concerns about red tape, corruption, and inefficiency.
Civil Service and Public Administration

Nongovernmental
Organizations
CIVIL SERVICE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Nongovernmental Organizations
During the Aquino presidency, Nongovernment Organizations or NGOs
emerged as vital contributors to effective governance and nation-building,
largely influenced by the Local Government Code of 1991. Primarily, these
organizations focused on charitable work, supporting the poor through local
church parishes. Over time, NGOs gained prominence in Philippine governance,
addressing political, economic, and social issues. Following the People Power
Revolution in 1986, they became key advocates for human rights, education,
and other specific causes. Laws like RA 7160 facilitated their involvement in
local policymaking and fostered the growth of people's organizations and
voluntary movements.
CIVIL SERVICE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Nongovernmental Organizations
NGOs play a significant role in various government
matters, forming coalitions to address issues like
housing, agrarian reform, and education. They have
successfully lobbied for legislation in these areas.
Today, many NGOs have united under the Coalition of
Development-NGOs (CODE-NGOs), which defines
their relationship with the government and other
sectors, including international NGOs (INGOs). Filipino
NGOs are now actively collaborating with INGOs to
better serve their communities.
Civil Service and Public Administration

Citizen’s Participation
CIVIL SERVICE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Citizen’s Participation
The 1987 Constitution in Article VI (Legislative)
enables citizens’ participation in the legislative
processes. The power to make, propose, or amend
laws is also extended to the people through the
mechanisms of initiative and referendum.

This means that people can propose new laws or

changes, and also approve or reject laws passed
by Congress or local councils, as long as at least
10% of registered voters sign a petition.
CIVIL SERVICE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Citizen’s Participation
By initiative, we mean that the authority
is reserved to the people through direct
participation of the electorate in
lawmaking processes either in national or
local level. By referendum, it means the
process with which the people are
referred directly on any question of law
passed by Congress or a local legislative
body for their approval or rejection.
CIVIL SERVICE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Citizen’s Participation While CHR can look into complaints

involving victims or the accused, it
Features that aimed to enhance citizens’ lacks prosecutory powers, meaning it
participation: can only investigate but not
Absentee Voting Act of 2004 prosecute cases. This limitation, along
Dual Citizenship Act with the challenges of being a new
the party-list representation system in the House organization and the need to educate
of Representatives the public about human rights, has
the creation of development councils in the LGUs hindered its effectiveness. As a
recognizing the role of people’s organization, result, some view the CHR as having
private sectors, CSOs, NGOs limited impact, akin to a "toothless
piranha."
independency of the Commission on Human
Rights (CHR)
Ethics and the
Public Service
Ethics and the Public Service
Article XI of the 1987 Constitution - outlines the accountability of public
officials and employees, consisting of 18 sections focused on their conduct
RA 6713 - Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and
Employees
RA 3019 - Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
Moral Recovery Program from the 1990s
Presidential Anti-Graft Commission created in 2001
Anti-Money Laundering Act (RA 9160)

Together, these laws aim to promote integrity and combat corruption within the
government.
ETHICS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6713

AN ACT ESTABLISHING A CODE OF CONDUCT AND

ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC OFFICALS AND
EMPLOYEES, TO UPHOLD THE TIME-HONORED
PRINCIPLE OF PUBLIC OFFICE BEING A PUBLIC
TRUST, GRANTING INCENTIVES AND REWARDS FOR
EXEMPLARY SERVICE, ENUMERATING PROHIBITED
ACTS AND TRANSACTIONS AND PROVIDING
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
ETHICS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Section 4. Norms of Conduct of Public Officials and Employees — (A) Every

public official and employee shall observe the following as standards of
personal conduct in the discharge and execution of official duties:

(a) Commitment to public interest. — Public officials and employees shall always
uphold the public interest over and above personal interest.

(b) Professionalism. — Public officials and employees shall perform and discharge
their duties with the highest degree of excellence, professionalism, intelligence and
skill
ETHICS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE

(c) Justness and sincerity. — Public officials and employees shall remain true to
the people at all times.

(d) Political neutrality. — Public officials and employees shall provide service to
everyone without unfair discrimination and regardless of party affiliation or
preference.

(e) Responsiveness to the public. — Public officials and employees shall extend
prompt, courteous, and adequate service to the public.
ETHICS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE

((f) Nationalism and patriotism. — Public officials and employees shall at all
times be loyal to the Republic and to the Filipino people, promote the use of
locally produced goods, resources and technology and encourage
appreciation and pride of country and people.

(g) Commitment to democracy. — Public officials and employees shall commit

themselves to the democratic way of life and values, maintain the principle of
public accountability, and manifest by deeds the supremacy of civilian
authority over the military.

(h) Simple living. — Public officials and employees and their families shall lead
modest lives appropriate to their positions and income.
ETHICS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE

(B) The Civil Service Commission shall adopt positive measures to promote
(1) observance of these standards including the dissemination of
information programs and workshops authorizing merit increases beyond
regular progression steps, to a limited number of employees recognized by
their office colleagues to be outstanding in their observance of ethical
standards; and (2) continuing research and experimentation on measures
which provide positive motivation to public officials and employees in
raising the general level of observance of these standards.
Management and
Good Governance
Management and Good Governance
Based on Civil Service Report, the importance of the use of management
information techniques in Public Administration is essential for good governance.

Traditionally, public services were delivered through government agencies that

provided public goods directly. However, as we enter the 21st century, the public
sector began adopting technology and communication networks to improve
service delivery.

Example: Hazard Hunter, Project Signal, DOST online services

 Management and Good Governance

Contracting out Services

MANAGEMENT AND GOOD GOVERNANCE

Contracting Out Services

As part of the reengineering effort in the 1990s, public administration in the
Philippines started to contract out services like public works and highways.

Other services contracted out are:

security services
garbage collection among local governments
janitorial services
high-level technical works

A call for strong performance indicators and result-based oriented services

emerges as a challenge for the government to institute earnest reforms.
 Some Key Areas
of PA
SOME KEY AREAS OF PA

Higher Education
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) - to regulate and oversee
colleges and universities in the Philippines. It sets policies and standards
for quality education, supports schools in improving performance, and
ensures they meet national education goals.

Accrediting agencies like PAASCU and PACU-COA, and other special

bodies are also established to support CHED’s commitment to quality
education and aims to improve programs offered.
SOME KEY AREAS OF PA

Environmental Concerns
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)

Social Policies
National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) - covers the operational
concerns of many departments of governments such as DOLE, DSWD, DepED, DOH.
Special bodies that aims to strengthen social policies: POEA, OWWA, PESO, TESDA

Other Sectors
Supreme Court - devoid from politics and must remain politically neutral
Philippine National Police (PNP)
Challenges Towards
Globalization Era
Challenges Towards
Globalization Era
Globalization fosters a holistic interdependence
approach to development cooperation among
nation-states in the international community.
Changes in world politics impact all nations. The
advancement in global economy and technology
has led the public administrators to adopt
strategies like e-commerce, e-government,
governance approach and spatial information
management.
 Challenges Towards
Globalization Era
Public administrators need to build trust and adapt government structures to
meet global changes. Bureaucrats should focus on being transparent and
accountable, while citizens are encouraged to help with local development. With
the right laws and resources, the aim is to fight corruption and improve
performance. Ultimately, the goal is for the Philippine public administration to
become a good example for nearby Southeast Asian countries.
Thank you!
Do not forget to
smile

Reporter: Knalliah Grace Desales