Essay on Administrative Reforms in the Philippiens Essay Example for Free

Essay on Administrative Reforms in the Philippiens Essay A study was made by the World Bank about the extent of corruption in the Philippines. The study reveals the existence of a consensus in the government, nongovernmental and international circles that corruption in the public and private sectors in the Philippines is pervasive and deep-rooted, touching even the judiciary and mass media (Chay Florentino-Holifena, 1998). This is collaborated by the data collected in September 1998 by Social Weather Station (SWS). The survey says that nearly two thirds of the respondent thought that corruption exists in the government with 38% saying â€Å"a great deal† while 34% saying â€Å"some. † Also, according to Transparency International which calculated that Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) n the Philippines, on a scale of1 (higher perception of corruption) to 10 (negligible perception), the CPI for the Philippines was 3. 6 in 1999. Out of the 99 countries rated, the Philippines was perceived as the Fifty-fifth least corrupt. As a result of the problem of prevalence of corruption in the Philippines, then President Joseph Estrada asked the World Bank to make recommendations to help the Philippine government strengthen its fight against corruption. For its part, the Philippines thought that the need for a stronger anti-corruption program is imperative considering that it is being cited with increasing frequency by international business surveys and anticorruption agencies as a country where corruption inhibit foreign and domestic investment. The need for stronger anti-corruption program by the Philippines is also brought about by the effects of corruption which drains away limited and scarce resources of the Philippine government for development, distorts access to government services by poor communities and undermines the public confidence in the governments determination to help alleviate poverty and fight corruption. In addition, the need for stronger anti-corruption program is made imperative in view of the importance of attracting international aid which is severely hampered by the international image of the Philippines as one of he haven of corruption in Asia. It must also be stressed that the move towards improvement in the public administration is a global trend that has affected even Southeast Asian countries which desire to improve public administration (M. Shamshul Haque, p. 1297). The World Bank then proposed a Nine-Point Approach in fighting corruption in the Philippines as its recommendation for creating a national strategy for fighting corruption in the Philippines. The principle behind the Nine-Point approach is focusing on reducing opportunities and motivation for corruption and making corruption a high-risk and low-reward activity. World Bank therefore recommended nine key elements for the national anticorruption program: a) reducing opportunities for corruption by policy reforms and deregulation; b) reforming campaign finance; c) increasing public oversight; d) reforming budget processes; e) improving meritocracy in the civil service; f) targeting selected departments and agencies; g) enhancing sanctions for corruption; h) developing partnerships with the private sector; and i) supporting judicial reform (â€Å"Combatting Corruption in the Philippines†, 2000, viii). In the light of the necessity of implementing reforms in the Philippines, this paper seeks to discuss the three areas of governance that may help in the attainment of the national goals of the Philippines which is to eradicate corruption, minimize the bureaucracy, minimize overlaps in program implementation by government agencies and check the expansion of government activities. These areas are: (1) decentralization and local governance, (2) economic deregulation and privatization and (3) human resource management. Reforms in local Governance and Decentralization The Philippines follows a Unitary form of government in which there is a concentration of political powers and authority in the national government. Legislative power, or the power to make, amend, repeal or alter them is vested in Congress which is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Executive power, or the power to administer and enforce laws, is vested in the President. Judicial power, or the power to settle actual controversies involving rights, is vested in the Supreme Court and ther lower courts. This is unlike the United States which adopts the Federal system of government in which political powers and authority are shared between the national government and the individual states. However, the 1987 Constitution in recognition of the existence of territorial and political subdivisions of the Philippines which are provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays, has given these territorial subdivisions local autonomy for the purpose of making them effective and efficient partners in national building. Thus Article X Section 3 of the 1987 Constitution provides that: â€Å"The Congress shall enact a local government code which shall provide for a more responsive and accountable local government structure instituted through a system of decentralization with effective mechanisms of recall, initiative and referendum, allocate among the different local government units their powers, responsibilities and resources and provide for the qualifications, election, appointment and removal, term, salaries, powers and functions and duties of local officials, and all other matters relating to the organization and operation of local units. (Art X, Sec 3, 1987 Constitution) The constitution also gives the local government fiscal autonomy for them to be able to provide basic services to their constituents, to wit: â€Å"Each local government unit shall have the power to create its own sources of revenues and to levy taxes, fees, and charges subject to such guidelines and limitations as the Congress ma provide consistent with the basic policy of local autonomy. Such taxes, fees and charges shall accrue exclusively to the local governments. † (Art X, Section 5, 1987 Constitution) As a result of the delegation of some powers and authority by the national government, the local government has been important and vital machineries in the attainment of national goals of the Philippines. The national government has learned that delegating some of its powers will enable it to focus on more pressing national concerns. It has also learned that giving communities local and fiscal autonomy will help make them proactive partners by the national government in the fight for corruption and advancement of he country. As a result, the local communities have been able to transform themselves to mini-governments that can to a certain extent sustain the needs of their constituents. The local government units have been able to propose innovations on how to help the national government. These are: a) Taking Care of People and Environment in Negros Oriental which is a project geared towards developing and improving the quality of life in Negros Oriental, a province in the South of P hilippines. The project involves the construction of community hospital that seeks to provide basic health services and information dissemination campaign to inform the people on how to take care of their environment; b) Saving the Mangroves of Kalibo, Aklan is a project geared towards the reforestation of a fifty hectare swampland; c) Saving the Marikina River is a project whose primary goal is to restore the Marikina River for the purpose of making it one of the major tourist destination of the city; d) The Mandaluyong Public Market is a partnership between the private sector and the city for the private sector to built and operate a market on a land owned by the city. This project is now the source of the revenues of the city which it now uses to support its provision of basic services to its constituents; e) Transforming Malalag into a Provincial Agro-Industrial Centre in Davao Del is another example of the effect of empowering local government units as partners with other government agencies in local administration and management, human resource development; f) Acquiring a Complete Equipment Pool in Munoz, Nueva Ecija is a project of the local government unit in acquiring under-utilized equipment from national government and making good use of them in rebuilding the local government unit; g) Floating Bonds for Low Cost Housing in Victorias, Negros Occidental is a project of the local government unit which involve floating of bonds to finance housing projects of its constituents; h) Improving the Productivity in Naga City is a local government unit’s project that focuses on providing services to the constituents, getting optimum outputs wi th minimum expenditures, producing quality results as desired and planned and making services accessible and acceptable based on the principle of greater good for the greatest number; i) Number Code Scheme in Makati City is a project geared towards easing the traffic in the business district of the  Philippines; j) Medical, Dental and Legal Mission in Caloocan City which is a project that seeks to deliver medical, dental and even legal advises to poor residents in Caloocan City; j) Solid Waste Management Program in Bulacan is a project designed to ensure that the people learn to segregate and properly dispose of their garbage. Privatization Program Privatization is essentially the sale or lease of assets of the government. It is done either because the country realizes how efficient the private sector is in business management or because the government seeks to earn additional revenues and that privatizing its assets will be instrumental in the government’s economic development program. Privatization of government assets started in 1986 during an era of political turmoil as the country has overthrown the dictatorial rule of the former President Marcos. Th is is the first wave of privatization. At the time the government wanted to dispose the assets which have been sequestered from the friends and relatives of President Marcos (Lauro A. Ortile p. 130). Other properties were also included in the privatization such as those that were foreclosed and taken over by banks. The second wave started in 1990 with the disposition of government properties in the utilities and infrastructure sectors which were formerly state-subsidized (Lauro A. Ortile p. 130). The third wave consists in opening of a wide range of public services such as housing health, postal services and pension funds (Lauro A. Ortile p. 130). According to the Department of Finance, privatization has yielded positive results for the government. It has not only generated additional revenues, but it has also broaden the base of ownership and fostered favorable climate for investors (Privatization Monitor, 2004, p. 1). Since 1987, the revenue generated from the privatization program has reached more than P200 billion for the Philippines. According to United Nation Public Administration Network (UNPAN) (1997), the Philippine Civil Service more than doubled from 430,000 in 1971 to 840,000 in 1980 to almost 1 million in 1985 (Mirshariff Tillah, 2005, p. 27 ) By itself, there is essentially nothing wrong in having a large workforce. It may be argued that having a large workforce aids in the delivery of public services and gives employment opportunities to a large number of people. However, if despite having a large workforce delivery of public service is still slow and the amount allocated given to these civil servants eats away a large percentage of the national budget, then having a large workforce is a serious cause of concern. It must be stressed for a country like the Philippines, cutting down the size of its civil servants is imperative in the sense that money used to pay for the salaries of non-performing employees may be utilized for infrastructure and delivery of public services. As a result, then President Fidel Ramos implemented one of the legislative measures designed to downsize the government and ensure that its existing employees will be more effectively utilized. This is the Republic Act 7430 â€Å"An Act Providing for Optimum Utilization of Personnel in Government Service through a System of Attrition† which is otherwise known as the Attrition Law. The objective was attained simply by means of freeze hiring and preventing the filling of positions that become vacant due to resignation, retirements or death (Mirshariff Tillah, p. 27). The Attrition Law is still being currently implemented until now. It has been so effective that it has arrested the upward trend in government employment. Though it has not completely stopped the upward trend of the government employment, the same however has caused the increase to slow down. Research shows that the start of the implementation of the Attrition Law in June 1992, the total number of filled positions was 1,237,435. This number was reduced in 1993 and 1994 but increased from 1995 to 1996. The present figure of 1,213,602, however, still remains lower than the 1992 level (â€Å"Administrative Reforms: Country Profiles of Five Asian Countries† p. 117). It is also estimated that the five-year implementation of the Attrition Law, has resulted in savings for the Philippine government in the amount of more than six billion pesos (US$ 240 million) (â€Å"Administrative Reforms: Country Profiles of Five Asian Countries†p. 117). Conclusion The Philippines has undertaken dramatic changes in the last few decades. These policy changes are manifested in the legislative measures that have been passed which are designed to eradicate corruption, minimize the bureaucracy, and minimize overlaps in program implementation by government agencies. Though there are a lot more changes to be done, the future is bright for the Philippines as these measures are initial steps that have been taken towards national development. This is a sample essay from smartessaywriters. com – the leading provider of reliable and affordable essay writing services and research paper writing services in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Moyers vs. Frontline :: essays research papers

Moyers Vs. Frontline   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The difference between the Frontline video and the Moyers video is mainly that the Moyers video deals with normative ethics and the Frontline video deals with discriptive ethics. The Frontline video frightenly describes how George Walker bush came to develope the principles and values which guide his policy making. The Moyers video, on the other hand, dealt with how Sister Joan felt about the president's policies, and what she hoped the conservative Christian right would do to become more succinct with gospel teachings. Both sides have elements of both normative and discriptive ethics, but for the most part, they are polar in motivation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Moyers video gives a rather surprising account of the Bush policies from the perspective of a very politically active Catholic nun. Sister Joan criticizes the president for everything from his policies on Iraq to the conservative view on abortion. Sister Joan poigniantly displays Bush as an egotistical, confused absolutist who's own agenda is the only one he relies on. Not that Sister Joan is wrong, but the Moyers video paints him not as coniving, but as misguided. At the end of the Moyers video, one has a sense that he truly believes what he's doing is right. When he makes the comment as governor, that God wants him to be president, I think he really believes it. To make a statement like that isn't just meglomania, it's political suicide...unless you actually believe it and happen to be a member of a faith that believes God does things like pick presidents.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The president's interest in faith-based initiatives, is perhaps best contrasted against Sister Joan's response to the Conservative pro-life argument. Bush went against the constitution to allow religious institutions to recieve federal aid for community service programs, without being subjected to federal regulations. Nowhere, however, did he mention what faith would get the most funding. Bush had stated earlier that he didn't believe you were going to heaven without Jesus. He then showed an obvious favortism towards Christianity when speaking about the new programs in the public forum. If this continues, he will no doubt use his faith over the constitution to begin taking away the rightsof citizens. One of the areas in jeapardy is the women's right to privacy. Sister Joan uses the best response I've heard to the conservative argument I've heard in a

Kids Need Sports

Kids these days are stuck inside doors just playing video games, doing homework, watching television, and that’s just wrong. Kids should be outside playing sports, getting some exercise while having fun. There are many reasons nowadays why kids aren’t playing or end up quitting sports, such as their parents don’t want them to play and get hurt, kids feel that they can’t do the sport or won’t be any good at it. A other reason kids end up quitting sports because they don’t like to lose or be on a losing team but as Muhammed Ali once said â€Å"I never thought about losing, but now that it’s happened, the only thing is to do it right† (Ali).This is a good mindset to have. Playing a sport at a young age helps the child become a better leader, team player, and an athlete that will carry on as they get older. Whoever disagrees that kids shouldn’t play sports should consider all the benefits sports bring to a child’s life and the people around them. Kids that play a sport are more likely to be in healthy, and have better socializing behavior. There are reasons why kids don’t playing sports at an early age due to parents not allowing them, and kid end up quitting sports due to injury and the stress of a sport.Sports are a great way for a kid to stay in shape and have fun. Playing a sports at a young age has a lot of health befits. As stated by Family, Youth and Community Sciences â€Å"According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls who participate in sports are less likely to become pregnant as teenagers and are less likely to suffer from depression. There is also evidence that athletic activity can decrease the likelihood of developing breast cancer and osteoporosis. †(â€Å"Benefits of Sports for Kids†). Kids that play a sport at a young age are more likely to have better eating habits, and exercise when they grow up to an adult.As told by Academic Search Premier. â⠂¬Å"Athletes are generally less likely than their nonathlete peers to smoke cigarettes or to use marijuana or other illegal drugs (â€Å"Relationships Between Youth Sport Participation†). When a kid plays a sport they are often on a team which builds socializing skills and teamwork skills. Routledge â€Å"Around the world, there is evidence of sport/physical activity programmes being used to re-engage young people in education and society more broadly (â€Å"The role of physical activity/sport†).Kids that play sports learn how to share, be a leader, have great team work, and be a better person in both the sport and everyday life. Kid will also have better obedience, and respect to their elders and parents. Sports are a great way to find close friends to talk to play with and they would have the same interests and hobbies as the child would have this makes finding friends easier on the child. Parents need to be involved in their child’s life making sure they are up to good; a great way in doing that is to enroll them in a sport.Parents are the one that need to make the push in their child’s life to start playing a sport and finding the sports they would like to play. Often enough parents are also the reason why kids aren’t playing any sports. An example would be a mother doesn’t want her kid to play football because they can get injured and she is to overprotective of her child, but parents need to know that they cannot keep their kids in door all the time this could cause socializing problems, and health problems. As said by Steinberg Academic Search Premier â€Å"As a general rule, kids should start playing sports around age 6 (â€Å"Let's play ball! ). There are many reasons why kids quit sports nowadays. Some of the reason are that the kid is under too much stress and got injured and afraid to play again. The kid could be in a great deal of stress with the sports busy work schedule with practices, games, and film . This could be a lot for a kid to handle. Academic OneFile â€Å"If your child is unhappily stuck in a high-stress situation, De Lench advises, allow him or her to quit. â€Å"As adults, we walk away from situations that aren't good for us, and it's a healthy lesson to teach your child (â€Å"Not just fun and games†).Kids also should just play seasonal a sports not a year round sports so he or she is constantly under stress. Youth sports are essential to a kids’ development to grow and learn. A child without a sport could have health problem when growing up and likely to get into more trouble with drugs. The kids also build social behaviors and leadership traits that well stick with them for the rest of their lives and good friends along so. The things that are stopping kids from playing g sports are parents, cause of injury, and a stressful environment of the sport itself.

Battle of Stirling Bridge in the Wars of Scottish Independence

The Battle of Stirling Bridge was part of the First War of Scottish Independence. William Wallaces forces were victorious at Stirling Bridge on September 11, 1297. Armies Commanders Scotland William WallaceAndrew de Moray300 cavalry, 10,000 infantry England John de Warenne, 7th Earl of SurreyHugh de Cressingham1,000 to 3,000 cavalry, 15,000-50,000 infantry Background In 1291, with Scotland embroiled in a succession crisis following the death King Alexander III, the Scottish nobility approached King Edward of England and asked him to oversee the dispute and administer the outcome. Seeing an opportunity to expand his power, Edward agreed to settle the matter but only if he were made feudal overlord of Scotland. The Scots attempted to sidestep this demand by replying that as there was no king, there was no one to make such a concession. Without further addressing this issue, they were willing to allow Edward to oversee the realm until a new king was determined. Assessing the candidates, the English monarch selected the claim of John Balliol who was crowned in November 1292. Though the matter, known as the Great Cause, had been resolved, Edward continued to exert power and influence over Scotland. Over the next five years, he effectively treated Scotland as a vassal state. As John Balliol was effectively compromised as king, control of most state affairs passed to 12-man council in July 1295. That same year, Edward demanded that Scottish nobles provide military service and support for his war against France. Refusing, the council instead concluded the Treaty of Paris which aligned Scotland with France and commenced the Auld Alliance. Responding to this and a failed Scottish attack on Carlisle, Edward marched north and sacked Berwick-upon-Tweed in March 1296. Continuing on, English forces routed Balliol and the Scottish army at the Battle of Dunbar the following month. By July, Balliol had been captured and forced to abdicate and the majority of Scotland had been subjugated. In the wake of the English victory, a resistance to Edwards rule began which saw small bands of Scots led by individuals such as William Wallace and Andrew de Moray commence raiding the enemys supply lines. Having success, they soon gained support from Scottish nobility and with growing forces liberated much of the country north of the Firth of Forth. Concerned about the growing rebellion in Scotland, the Earl of Surrey and Hugh de Cressingham moved north to put down the revolt. Given the success at Dunbar the previous year, English confidence was high and Surrey expected a short campaign. Opposing the English was a new Scottish army led by Wallace and Moray. More disciplined than their predecessors, this force had been operating in two wings and united to meet the new threat. Arriving in the Ochil Hills overlooking the River Forth near Stirling, the two commanders awaited the English army. The English Plan As the English approached from the south, Sir Richard Lundie, a former Scottish knight, informed Surrey about a local ford that would allow sixty horsemen to cross the river at once. After conveying this information, Lundie asked permission to take a force across the ford to flank the Scottish position. Though this request was considered by Surrey, Cressingham managed to convince him to attack directly across the bridge. As Edward Is treasurer in Scotland, Cressingham wished to avoid the expense of prolonging the campaign and sought avoid any actions that would cause a delay. The Scots Victorious On September 11, 1297, Surreys English and Welsh archers crossed the narrow bridge but were recalled as the earl had overslept. Later in the day, Surreys infantry and cavalry began crossing the bridge. Watching this, Wallace and Moray restrained their troops until a sizable, but beatable, English force had reached the north shore. When approximately 5,400 had crossed the bridge, the Scots attacked and swiftly encircled the English, gaining control of the north end of the bridge. Among those who were trapped on the north shore was Cressingham who was killed and butchered by the Scottish troops. Unable to send sizable reinforcements across the narrow bridge, Surrey was forced to watch his entire vanguard be destroyed by Wallace and Morays men. One English knight, Sir Marmaduke Tweng, managed to fight his way back across the bridge to the English lines. Others discarded their armor and attempted to swim back across the River Forth. Despite still having a strong force, Surreys confidence was destroyed and he ordered the bridge destroyed before retreating south to Berwick. Seeing Wallaces victory, the Earl of Lennox and James Stewart, the High Steward of Scotland, who been supporting the English, withdrew with their men and joined the Scottish ranks. As Surrey pulled back, Stewart successfully attacked the English supply train, hastening their retreat. By departing the area, Surrey abandoned the English garrison at Stirling Castle, which eventually surrendered to the Scots. Aftermath Impact Scottish casualties at the Battle of Stirling Bridge were not recorded, however they are believed to have been relatively light. The only known casualty of the battle was Andrew de Moray who was injured and subsequently died of his wounds. The English lost approximately 6,000 killed and wounded. The victory at Stirling Bridge led to the ascent of William Wallace and he was named Guardian of Scotland the following March. His power was short-lived, as he was defeated by a King Edward I and a larger English army in 1298, at the Battle of Falkirk.