17 April 2006 — Consul General Maria Rowena Mendoza Sanchez of the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Consulate hosted a lecture entitled “Toward Bureaucratic Reform: Issues and Challenges” delivered by University of the Philippines (UP) Professor Dr. Clarita R. Carlos at the Filipino-American Forum on 8 April 2006 at the Philippine Center in San Francisco.

Consul General Sanchez said that the lecture was attended by leaders and members of the Filipino-American community in the Bay Area, including officers of the UP Alumni Association of San Francisco and Berkeley chapters, and the UP Alumni Association of America.

In welcoming Dr. Carlos to the forum, Consul General Sanchez said “the large turnout of participants reflected the strong interest of the Filipino American community to hold public discussions where they can exchange views on important issues concerning the Philippines.”

“The Filipino-American Forum was established by the community and the consulate for this explicit purpose. As long as we remain focused on its goals, we will succeed in the aim to empower our community and make it an active and effective partner of the Philippine Government in pursuing our economic and development objectives,” the Consul General Sanchez added.

A long-time academician, political science professor, and frequent participant in international conferences held in the United States, Dr. Carlos stated in her lecture that while an efficient government bureaucracy can serve as an impetus for the Philippines’ sustained economic growth, it will take a strong political will on the part of the country’s leadership to carry out much needed reforms in this sector.

Dr. Carlos stated that one of the problems besetting Philippine bureaucracy is its size. Currently there are more than 1.4 million civil servants serving in the three branches of the government.  Another concern is the overlapping functions among the different agencies whose responsibilities, she pointed out, should be clarified, particularly in carrying out the national strategic plan of the government.

“A sound strategy is to link the Philippine bureaucracy to the priorities of the country’s economic development agenda, especially in the allocation of resources. Phase-outs and mergers among different government agencies performing similar or related functions, as well as the increased coordination links between the various departments should be encouraged as part of this effort,” Dr. Carlos said.

She added, “There should not be any co-equality, as it exists now, among the different government agencies.”
 
In concluding her lecture, Dr. Carlos said that the process of instituting bureaucratic reforms is a continuing activity that accordingly responds to the needs of the times and changes.

“Administrative reform is not a one-shot activity that will happen in a short period. It has to be programmed and phased systematically and will need both a strong commitment and will of the political leadership to sustain it. Moreover, it has to be a joint undertaking of the executive and the legislature, requiring the participation of the entire political system,” she explained.

“In the final analysis, political leaders must have a genuine commitment to reforms and should be willing to stake their political careers on the reform efforts,” Dr. Carlos stated.  (Please refer to the accompanying photo release on this subject matter.) END