University of the Philippines

OPEN UNIVERSITY

PM 208

TMA 1

Submitted by:

EDUARDO E. VILLA

2011-82417

ed10908@yahoo.com

Submitted to:

PROF. GILBERT M. LLOVIT

Faculty in Charge PM 208

Learning Center:

Philippine Embassy, Abu Dhabi U.A.E

Submitted again via email: 01-07-2012 (9:30pm, UAE time)

 The Philippine Administrative System, along with its other nomenclatures- the

state, the bureaucracy, or “government in action” as Woodrow Wilson

(www.teachingamericanhistory.org) puts it, is a product of the past, shaped and

designed according to the needs and demands of the present, and will continue to

evolve and remodeled in the future as called for – to ensure that the highest and most

sublime mandate of placing the public interest at the forefront well secured and

protected.

To be able to enroll in another equally challenging PM subject, which is PM

208, after having completed its prerequisite PM 201, has made me turn back the

pages and reminded me about the already eclectic field of Public Administration that’s

in the same manner, continuously evolving and morphing, in as much as some well-

known scholars from the field, had made some diagnosis as the subject facing an

“identity crisis” to the question of “what is”, along with the prognosis of an impending

extinction from a distinct field as separate to its mother discipline “political science”.

Even if the self-fulfilling prophecy comes to a fruition, meaning, the

consummation of Public Administration as a field of study losing its rightful place with

other discipline - the most visible and tangible aspect of what it is: the action part of

the government, which has been pre-existing long before the coinage of its scholarly

term “PA” came into use, the different administrative systems, will resolutely remain at

standstill, although continuously evolving. For so long as the concept of administration

as the “cooperative behavior in the achievement of common goals” (cited in Cabo

1997) serves as the primordial element in the management of public affairs, then,

without a sign of uncertainty, the Philippine Administrative System shall exist with no

known immutability and fragmentation, but never to extinction.

 As stated earlier, the PAS exists only for and because of the Filipino people.

The goals, aspirations, directions, and its ideals that govern its existence should always

be directed to the benefit of the Filipino people and nation, and not in the hands of the

powerful few. Any infarctions, abuse, and negligence by its erring officials or

administrators, to a magnitude that is in preponderance to a suppression of people’s

rights, freedom and economic inequity and instability, leads to the reawakening of the

Filipino people sense of “nationalism” and “national consciousness” that attempt to

radically reverse and rectify such malevolent acts committed by those who have sworn

and made public oaths to serve and protect the people but regrettably, lack of sincerity

and integrity obfuscate their real intentions.

As history pointed to us, the people who are known to be “the shakers and

movers” (cite) of the PAS, have resorted to a form of revolutions, in thoughts (the

natives, the ordinary people wanting to be freed from any form of suppression ), by

prose (reformers like Jose Rizal through the writings of Noli Me Tangere) and by force

and blood (through the Katipuneros) - coming from the multifarious social strata

comprising both the elite and the masses alike, leading to a “people/people’s power”

revolution bounded by a united consciousness that has changed and shaped our

Philippine Administrative System that we know today.

To reminisce, there are 3 known revolutions that significantly affect the PAS: the

1896, 1986 and 2001 revolutions which are the culmination and crystallization of years

of opposition and unheard of struggles against the abusive hands of our colonizers -

both the contemporary and the antediluvian forces alike, to attain the ultimate prize of

freedom magnified in its various spectrums: in 1896 against the suppression of the

Spanish colonizers marked by inequality among the rulers and the subjects (i.e

between indios (natives) and the elites, among insulares/creoles and peninsulares,
native parishioners and Spanish clergies, in relation to unequal access to basic services

such as education and job positions); 1986 revolution against a decade of dictatorial

regime of Ferdinand Marcos encumbered by human rights violation, freedom of

speech(press) suppression and the ill-gotten wealth amassed to corruption. Finally,

the 2001 EDSA DOS revolution in response to the perceived political partiality among

the Senate members favoring a decision to Ex-President Estrada by not allowing a

piece of evidence to be scrutinized by the Senator-judges that would determine his fate

due to corruption. In other words, the people have waged war against any form of

betrayal of public trust as an abuse of power.

These events, would not have happened, had the Filipinos not possessed and

ignited the quintessential values of “national identity and consciousness” bringing

forth that “sense of oneness which comes from a community of aspiration, response

and action” (Alfiler 1999) . Corollary to this, Filipinos that time were able to form mass

mobilization and convert their limited consciousness into a revolutionary one (ibid)

leading to the accomplishment and realization of their goals: the birth of a Filipino

nation and the assimilation of “weberian-like bureaucracy” during the American regime

(Cabo 1997), redemocratization or demarcosification and participatory governance

(Alfiler 1999) during the Aquino Administration, and reinforcement of accountability

and transparency after the deposition of Ex-President Estrada.

While the two revolutions of 1896 and the 1986 exemplify the exact meaning of

what “national consciousness” is about, notwithstanding the oppressions and abuses

the people must have experienced which culminated at the cruel deaths of GOMBURZA

prior to 1896 and the assassination of the late Senator Aquino three years prior to 1986,

the events in the so called EDSA 2, in my opinion, is largely political and doesn’t

represent the whole idea of “national consciousness” and “nationalism” . I personally

believe that the Constitution, being the supreme law of the land, where the legal basis

of PAS is enshrined upon, has been overshadowed by misinterpretations by those who

have installed Former President GMA into the Presidency. While it is true that the voice

of the people, as represented by those who had marched, barraged and clamored for

Ex-President Estrada’s resignation may reflect the entire will of the nation, they had

failed to uphold the rule of law stipulated in the constitution for impeachment

proceedings, thus leading to EDSA DOS with the people searching for accountability

and transparency. (Villa 2012)

Having these in mind, two important learnings and implications can be positively

identified through these revolutions that can enhance the PAS as an effective

machinery to accomplish its goals of being created for the welfare of the people :: First,

the role of nationalism and national consciousness in reversing the negative effects of

“captive consciousness” (Alfiler 1999) that hinder our progress as a nation such as

illiteracy and subservient attitude (1896), colonial and “talangka mentality” (post 1896

up to present), preservation of the rule of law, and transparency and accountability

(2001 –present). Second, the preservation of the legacy that our colonizers have left

us: the fear in the Lord which results in the authentic love for neighbors through the

propagation of Christianity (Spaniards), the high value placed on education and the

importance of efficiency, effectiveness and efficiency and the execution of bureaucratic

functions (Americans), and the important roles of the civil society and mass

participation in all government undertakings which were suppressed during the Marcos

regime.

Reaffirming of what I have posted in the discussion forum, I could not agree less

when I said that “while the PAS is continually evolving, I should say that we never lack

the machineries for its effective and efficient operations that should positively affect its
passive and active recipients which are the Filipino people itself to whom it was created

for. I believe that a strong “political will” backed up by a strong sense of nationalism

complements our existing and evolving PAS that should work together for the benefit of

all and not only in the hands of the powerful few.” (Villa 2012, DF)

References:

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=465

Cabo, Wilhelmina L. 1997, “Theory and Practice of Public Administration”. Univeristy

of the Philippines Open University

Alfiler, Ma. Concepcion P. 1999, “The Philippine Administrative System.” University of

the Philippines Open University

Villa, Eduardo E. Discussion Forum PM 208. UPOU Myportal. 2012