By: Gilbert M. Forbes
DepEd Quezon, CALABARZON\
I want to borrow and share the sentiments of Jude Ocampo via Jess Lorenzo who mentioned in his fb post that he feels sorry for our honest public servants. The public demands that they be visible - which is perfectly understandable since seeing competent men and women directing govt efforts does provide some comfort. But when people like Sec. MAR risk life and limb to lead crisis management efforts on the ground, they are rewarded by cynicism and ridicule. Kung hindi ka magnanakaw sa gobiyerno, dapat yata santo or masochist ka. Can't we just see this for what it is - an honest public servant doing his job?
In government service, seldom that honest public servants got noticed, recognized, and even rewarded by the public and most importantly by peers. If you profess and practice righteousness in the work place either some would despise you, reject you and like Sec. Mar, ridicule you behind your backs. Your contemporaries may even consider you as a threat. May be that is because, the crab mentality is so grossly embedded in our psychic- bad for a nation dreaming to be progressive and great.
Most of the time, if you think out of the box, radical in your approach meaning highly analytical weighing things and putting it in a balance, and most of all disciplinarian or strict, you could be unpopular, or less liked. Rest assured that nobody will recognize your efforts, they may do so once you have left, worst, none at all. You could be excused unless you possess an above average, not ordinary, or even extraordinary appeal and aura, but still do expect negativity for there is a saying, you couldn't please everybody.
This is the very reason that most of our best people as much as possible avoid government service. They rather work and serve in an NGO than in government or worst, in the corporate world and just help in other ways. The bad side about it is that the unknowing public, 'the masses' are left with no other alternative. Then we will be annoyed by mediocre government services!
If we, the public, want a good and ultimately the best public service that we want from the government, we should ask ourselves first, what kind of citizen am I? In my own little ways, aside from being both direct and indirect tax payers, what, contributions do I make towards the society? If I would be given the opportunity to serve in the government, can I do the kind of public service I want from them?
People in government, particularly the righteous and respected ones, deserve our support and not the other way around so as encourage them to continue and not be eaten up by the bad system. Our failure, is our great loss for there are already too few of them in government now. Their tribe should increase, and its we who are in the best position to make it a reality. After, all, in a larger picture, WE THE PEOPLE, IS THE GOVERNMENT.
(Mr. Gilbert M. Forbes had his Bachelors Degree and MA in Educational Management (CAR) from the Philippine Normal University. A campus paper adviser and trainer for 13 years. Currently, he is a school principal in one of the central schools in the Division of Quezon.)
DepEd Quezon, CALABARZON\
I want to borrow and share the sentiments of Jude Ocampo via Jess Lorenzo who mentioned in his fb post that he feels sorry for our honest public servants. The public demands that they be visible - which is perfectly understandable since seeing competent men and women directing govt efforts does provide some comfort. But when people like Sec. MAR risk life and limb to lead crisis management efforts on the ground, they are rewarded by cynicism and ridicule. Kung hindi ka magnanakaw sa gobiyerno, dapat yata santo or masochist ka. Can't we just see this for what it is - an honest public servant doing his job?
In government service, seldom that honest public servants got noticed, recognized, and even rewarded by the public and most importantly by peers. If you profess and practice righteousness in the work place either some would despise you, reject you and like Sec. Mar, ridicule you behind your backs. Your contemporaries may even consider you as a threat. May be that is because, the crab mentality is so grossly embedded in our psychic- bad for a nation dreaming to be progressive and great.
Most of the time, if you think out of the box, radical in your approach meaning highly analytical weighing things and putting it in a balance, and most of all disciplinarian or strict, you could be unpopular, or less liked. Rest assured that nobody will recognize your efforts, they may do so once you have left, worst, none at all. You could be excused unless you possess an above average, not ordinary, or even extraordinary appeal and aura, but still do expect negativity for there is a saying, you couldn't please everybody.
This is the very reason that most of our best people as much as possible avoid government service. They rather work and serve in an NGO than in government or worst, in the corporate world and just help in other ways. The bad side about it is that the unknowing public, 'the masses' are left with no other alternative. Then we will be annoyed by mediocre government services!
If we, the public, want a good and ultimately the best public service that we want from the government, we should ask ourselves first, what kind of citizen am I? In my own little ways, aside from being both direct and indirect tax payers, what, contributions do I make towards the society? If I would be given the opportunity to serve in the government, can I do the kind of public service I want from them?
People in government, particularly the righteous and respected ones, deserve our support and not the other way around so as encourage them to continue and not be eaten up by the bad system. Our failure, is our great loss for there are already too few of them in government now. Their tribe should increase, and its we who are in the best position to make it a reality. After, all, in a larger picture, WE THE PEOPLE, IS THE GOVERNMENT.
(Mr. Gilbert M. Forbes had his Bachelors Degree and MA in Educational Management (CAR) from the Philippine Normal University. A campus paper adviser and trainer for 13 years. Currently, he is a school principal in one of the central schools in the Division of Quezon.)
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