Governance/Good Governance

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND

GOVERNANCE
Governance
The word “governance” came from the
Latin verb “gubernare,” or more originally from
the Greek word “kubernaein,” which means “to
steer.”
Basing on its etymology, governance refers
to the manner of steering or governing, or of
directing and controlling, a group of people or a
state.
 Governance is commonly defined as the
exercise of power or authority by political
leaders for the well-being of their country’s
citizens or subjects. It is the complex process
whereby some sectors of the society wield
power, and enact and promulgate public policies
which directly affect human and institutional
interactions, and economic and social
development.
Good Governance
Good governance underpins and supports
the mission and the purpose of the
organization/government.
Good governance creates a sound, ethical
and sustainable strategy, acceptable to the
institution as a whole and other key
stakeholders.
Good Governance
Good governance oversees the implementation of such
strategy through well-considered processes and procedures in
an open, transparent and honest manner
Good governance is essential to the grant or assertion
of autonomy. Boards of Governors by embracing good
governance approaches accept, unequivocally, their own
collective and individual responsibilities
Good governance is not optional.
Why good governance is
important in the public sector?
Good governance is the heart of any
successful business. It is essential for a company
or organization to achieve its objectives and
drive improvement, as well as maintain legal
and ethical standing in the eyes of shareholders,
regulators and the wider community.
Governance is not simply a concern for large
companies, but for any business or organization
of any shape or size.
 According to Adjunct Professor Nigel Phair
GAICD, the director of the Centre for Internet Safety at
the University of Canberra Governance is especially
important in the public sector because you’re dealing
with the public’s money.
 Eight Elements of Good
Governance
1. Rule of Law
2. Transparency
3. Responsiveness
4. Consensus Oriented
5. Equity and Inclusiveness
6. Effectiveness and Efficiency
7. Accountability
8. Participation
Rule of Law
That the government is of law and
not of men is an underlying democratic principle
which puts no one, however rich and powerful,
above the law. Not even the government can
arbitrarily act in contravention of the law. Thus,
good democratic governance is fundamentally
adherence to the rule of law.
 Good governance requires fair legal
frameworks that are enforced by an impartial
regulatory body, for the full protection of
stakeholders.
Transparency
Transparency, as an indicator of good governance,
means that people are open to information regarding
decision-making process and the implementation of the
same. In legal terms, it means that information on
matters of public concern are made available to the
citizens or those who will be directly affected. It also
means that transactions involving public interests must
be fully disclosed and made accessible to the people. It is
anchored on the democratic right to information and
right to access of the same. Transparency is necessary not
just from government transactions but also in those
transactions of the civil society and private sector imbued
with public interests.
Responsiveness
Good governance requires that
organizations and their processes are designed
to serve the best interests of the people within a
reasonable timeframe.
 It also means that actors and structures of
governance easily give genuine expression to the
will or desire of the people. In other words, the
interests of all citizens must be well protected in a
prompt and appropriate manner so that each of
them can appreciate and take part in the process of
governance. While responsiveness is also a
characteristic sought from the private sector and
civil society, more is demanded from the
government or the public sector.
• Consensus Oriented
• overnance is consensus oriented when decisions are
made after taking into consideration the different
viewpoints of the actors of the society. Mechanisms for
conflict resolution must be in place because inevitably
conflict that will arise from competing interests of the
actors. To meet the consensus, a strong, impartial, and
flexible mediation structure must be established.
Without such, compromises and a broad consensus
cannot be reached that serves that best interest of the
whole community.
• Among the things done by the Philippines in
promoting a consensus oriented governance
are: (1) creation of a wide-based of
representation in the Congress; (2) a two-
tiered legislature or bicameralism which
subjects legislation to the evaluation of
national and district legislators; and (3)
necessity of public hearings or consultations
of various governmental policies and actions.
• Equity and Inclusiveness
• Equity and inclusiveness means that all the
members of the society, especially the most
vulnerable ones or the grassroots level, must
be taken into consideration in policy-making.
• Social equity refers to a kind of justice that
gives more opportunity to the less fortunate
members of the society. It is based on the
principle that those who have less in life
should have more in law. Good governance
demands that the actors must give
preferential attention to the plight of the poor.
Laws must be geared towards this end and the
society must actively participate in the
promotion of the same.
• Effectiveness and Efficiency
• Good governance requires that the institutions,
processes, and actors could deliver and meet the
necessities of the society in a way that available
resources are utilized well. That the different
actors meet the needs of the society means that
there is effective governance. That the valuable
resources are utilized, without wasting or
underutilizing any of them, means that there is
efficient governance.
• Effectiveness (meeting the needs) and
efficiency (proper utilization of resources)
must necessarily go together to ensure the
best possible results for the community.
• Accountability
• Accountability means answerability or
responsibility for one’s action. It is based on the
principle that every person or group is
responsible for their actions most especially
when their acts affect public interest. The actors
have an obligation to explain and be answerable
for the consequences of decisions and actions
they have made on behalf of the community it
serves..
• Accountability comes in various forms: political,
hierarchical, and managerial accountability. Political
accountability refers to the accountability of public
officials to the people they represent. Hierarchical
accountability refers to the ordered accountability of
the various agencies and their respective officers and
personnel in relation to their program objectives.
Managerial accountability refers to employee
accountability based on organization and individual
performance. A system of rewards and punishment
must be in place to strengthen the processes and
institutions of governance.
• Participation
• Participation by both men and women, either
directly or through legitimate representatives,
is a key cornerstone of good governance.
Participation needs to be informed and
organized, including freedom of expression
and assiduous concern for the best interests
of the organization and society in general.
• Towards Improved Governance:
• Good governance is an ideal which is difficult to
achieve in its totality. Governance typically
involves well-intentioned people who bring their
ideas, experiences, preferences and other human
strengths and shortcomings to the policy-making
table. Good governance is achieved through an
on-going discourse that attempts to capture all of
the considerations involved in assuring that
stakeholder interests are addressed and reflected
in policy initiatives.
 Actors and Structures
• Understanding the two processes requires an analysis of the
“actors” involved and “structures” established for making and
implementing a decision. An actor is a sector or group or institution
that participates in the process of decision-making and
implementation. A structure refers to an organization or
mechanism that formally or informally guides the decision-making
process and sets into motion the different actors and apparatuses
in the implementation process.
• Having such a broad scope, governance has different facets and
may be applied in different contexts, such as corporate governance,
international governance, and national and local governance.[3] In
each context, governance has different actors and structures.
Depending on the kind of decision made and the structure
implementing it, governance may be good or bad governance.
• The government is almost always the main actor in governance, whether it is in the corporate,
international, national or local level. The government is called the “public sector.” While it is the
biggest actor in governance, it is not the only actor. Modern complex societies, in order to meet the
growing demands of development, are managed in different levels by various actors. Even
communist governments work with other sectors, especially with international organizations and
multi-national corporations, in meeting their communist ends. The main role of the public sector is
to provide an enabling environment for the other actors of governance to participate and respond
to the mandate of the common good.
• All actors other than the government are called the “civil society.” The civil society includes non-
governmental organizations, and other community-based and sectoral organizations, such as
association of farmers, charitable institutions, cooperatives, religious communities, political parties,
and research institutes. These organizations are private in nature but have public functions or
objectives. The Philippine Red Cross, for instance, is a non-governmental organization. It is a private
charitable institution the serves the community especially during disasters and emergencies by
providing medical assistance and disaster support services.
• The study of Philippine governance, however, includes the business or private sector as an
indispensable partner in development. To cope with the ever growing demands of development,
the public sector must necessarily tie-up with the private sector most especially in the financial
• In the national and international level, decision-making is greatly influenced by actors like the
media, international organizations, multi-national corporations, and international donors. Thus,
from the foregoing, it should be clear that governance involves several actors in multi-level
structures.
 Informal Actors and Bad Governance
• Other informal actors also exist, such as organized crime syndicates
and powerful families. Their influence is felt more clearly in local
governments, and in rural and urban areas. Most often than not,
these actors are the cause of corruption, in that legitimate
government objectives are distorted by their illegal and private
interests. Worse, they manipulate government officials and
agencies, and cause widespread yet organized violence in the
community. In urban and rural areas, for example, the rich and
powerful families control the economy by controlling the local
government officials. They bring about a controlled environment so
that decisions must always favor them. Allegedly, even government
officials, both local and national, are not just influenced but
themselves members of organized crime syndicates with the
purpose of using public office and, consequently, public funds for
personal aggrandizement.
• When these actors and informal structures disrupt, corrupt and upset the
legitimate objectives and ideals of the society, bad governance will result
which is considered as the chief problem of the society. Problems deepen
and multiply because of bad governance. Inasmuch as economics and
politics are interrelated, poor economy is caused by bad governance.
International aids and loans, for instance, are scarce in a badly governed
country. International donors and financial institutions are increasingly
basing their aid and loans on the condition that reforms that ensure “good
governance” are undertaken.[4] Recognizing these realities, current
economic and political goals of countries all over the world are aimed at
“good governance.” It is an ideal so broad and elusive the realization of
which is yet to be achieved. More so, the contemporary meaning of
“development” is good governance, or more specifically a reform from
faulty governance to good governance. What good governance is will
therefore be discussed next.
• CURRENT STATE OF GOVERNANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES

• The Philippines is plagued by bad governance. Based on the six

dimensions of governance in the Worldwide Governance Indicators
(WGI), it ranks in the lower half of the percentile. In 2010-2011, the
Philippines ranked only 85th in the Global Competitive Index (GCI),
lagging behind most of its Southeast Asian neighbors. The decline
of trust on the actors of governance and the consequential poor
economic condition were brought about by the systemic corruption
among and between public officials and private organizations. In
2013, it ranked 94th among 177 countries in the Corruption
Perception Index. Among the key institutions in the Philippines
perceived to be most corrupt based on the Global Corruption Index
are “political parties,” “judiciary,” “police,” “public officials and civil
servants,” and “legislature.” This means all branches of the
Philippine government are now challenged.
As perceived and experienced by the common Filipino masses, the foremost
indicators of bad governance in the Philippines are the unending cycle of
poverty, the huge gap between the rich and the poor, the deep-seated
tradition of corruption, mistrust on formal government institutions, yawning
cynicism on the true motive of political actions, instability of the economic
environment, constant threats to the authority of the established
government, and questions on accountability and transparency. These are the
usual content of everyday broadcast media, so common that there perceived
to be the normal state of affairs in the Philippines.

Bad governance is the root cause of all evils. It is what prevents the
Philippines from achieving its Millennium Development Goals. Rising above
such state of governance is a political imperative and the ideal solution to a
wide range of politico-economic problems. While the Philippines has already
created “islands of good governance”[8] in some national agencies and local
government units, its overall state is still miserable.[9]
1987 Constitution

PHILIPPINE POLITICS
AND GOVERNANCE
1987 Constitution
This constitution came into full force and
effect on February 11, 1987, after President
Corazon C. Aquino issued Proclamation No. 58,
s. 1987.
 It is founded upon certain fundamental
principles of government which have become
part and parcel of our cherished democratic
heritage as a people.
 Importance of The Philippine
Constitution
The Philippine Constitution is important
because it protects our rights. It enables us to
have justice and live a beautiful life. It helps us
to know our limitations and the right things we
should do in order for us to become a good
citizen
Articles of the 1987 Constitution
Preamble
Article I - National Territory
Article II - Declaration of Principles and State Policies
Article III - The Bill of Rights
Article IV - Citizenship
Article V - Suffrage
Article VI - Legislative Department
Article VII - Executive Department
Article VIII Judicial Department
Article IX – Constitutional Commissions
Article IX B – The Civil Service Commission
Article IX C - The Commission on Elections
Article IX D – The Commission on Audit
Articles of the 1987 Constitution
Article IX D – The Commission on Audit
Article X – The Local Government
Article XI – Accountability of Public Officers
Article XII - National Economy and Patrimony
Article XIII - Social Justice and Human Rights
Article XIV - Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture and
Sports
Article XV - The Family
Article XVI - General provisions
Article XVII - Amendments or Revisions
Article XVIII - Transitory Provisions
 Preamble
The term Preamble is derived from the
Latin word preambulare meaning to walk
before. It is the introduction to the main subject,
or the prologue.
 PREAMBLE
“We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring
the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and
humane society, and establish a Government that
shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote
the common good, conserve and develop our
patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our
posterity, the blessings of independence and
democracy under the rule of law and a regime of
truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace,
do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.”
Article I - National Territory
The national territory comprises the Philippine
archipelago, with all the islands and waters
embraced therein, and all other territories over
which the Philippines has sovereignty or
jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and
aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the
seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other
submarine areas. The waters around, between, and
connecting the islands of the archipelago,
regardless of their breadth and dimensions, form
part of the internal waters of the Philippines.