The Absentee Congressman
Absentism is one of the problems of both public and private offices. Personnel go to work for certain motivation. Therefore, government bureaucracy and private firms search for what motivation to offer to officers and employees so that maximum production will be attained.
In his hierarchy of needs, Maslou pointed to the proper motivation as one that will respond to the person’s needs. Maslou illustrated man’s hierarchy of needs in the form of a pyramid, the first of which is basic like food, clothing, shelter and even sex. Once the basic needs are attained, the next hierarchy is security like tenure of employment and security of income. So government personnel strive to pass civil service tests to have a permanent appointment, insurance with the GSIS. In case of private office, with the S.S.S. and Philhealth. Some even purchase private insurance policies and pre-need plans.
After the security need is fulfilled, follows the acceptance need. So the man seeks memberships to some organizations. After which, recognition follows such as outstanding graduate of a college, outstanding employees. The top of the pyramid is fulfillment. Once a man reaches that stage, then he is fulfilled. He can die as a fulfilled person.
This week, the leadership of the House of Representatives complained of miserable performance in their chamber because of rampant absentism of the members in the halls of congress. For the period July 26, 2004 to July 7, 2005, records of absences of the members released were led by the top five who are:
Rep Carlos Cojuangco – Negros Occidental – 39 absences
Rep. Carlos Imperial – Albay – 38 absences
Rep. Gilbert Teodoro – Tarlac – 31 absences
Rep. Eleuterio Violago – Nueva Ecija – 28 absences
Rep. Nereus Acosta – Bukidnon – 24 absences
In view of this absentism, several proposals were made to compel members to attend the session regularly. Majority Leader Prospero Nograles came out with “No Work, No Pay and Pork.” The proposed penalties for absenting from the session ranges from P3,000 to P10,000 per session and the reduction of pork barrel allocations.
“But cash penalties” according to Congressman Butch Aquino “is nothing especially to the super rich members of the house”. “You have sought this position of Congressman, and there is job description of being a congressman. You were elected by your people to be a congressman and you better work like a congressman”, Nograles told those absentee congressmen. . .
The best motivation for the leadership of congress to do to compel all members to attend sessions regularly is to report to their respective constituency the attendance of each member of congress at the end of every month. This can be done through the media. The media will in turn report it to the people.
Following Maslou’s theory of motivation, that absentee congressman maybe rejected in the next election by the electorate for his failure to ably represent his people in congress.
Reduction of pork barrel is not only penalizing the absentee representative but also the people whom the congressman failed to represent in congress. This is double jeopardy. /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@ahoo.com
Absentism is one of the problems of both public and private offices. Personnel go to work for certain motivation. Therefore, government bureaucracy and private firms search for what motivation to offer to officers and employees so that maximum production will be attained.
In his hierarchy of needs, Maslou pointed to the proper motivation as one that will respond to the person’s needs. Maslou illustrated man’s hierarchy of needs in the form of a pyramid, the first of which is basic like food, clothing, shelter and even sex. Once the basic needs are attained, the next hierarchy is security like tenure of employment and security of income. So government personnel strive to pass civil service tests to have a permanent appointment, insurance with the GSIS. In case of private office, with the S.S.S. and Philhealth. Some even purchase private insurance policies and pre-need plans.
After the security need is fulfilled, follows the acceptance need. So the man seeks memberships to some organizations. After which, recognition follows such as outstanding graduate of a college, outstanding employees. The top of the pyramid is fulfillment. Once a man reaches that stage, then he is fulfilled. He can die as a fulfilled person.
This week, the leadership of the House of Representatives complained of miserable performance in their chamber because of rampant absentism of the members in the halls of congress. For the period July 26, 2004 to July 7, 2005, records of absences of the members released were led by the top five who are:
Rep Carlos Cojuangco – Negros Occidental – 39 absences
Rep. Carlos Imperial – Albay – 38 absences
Rep. Gilbert Teodoro – Tarlac – 31 absences
Rep. Eleuterio Violago – Nueva Ecija – 28 absences
Rep. Nereus Acosta – Bukidnon – 24 absences
In view of this absentism, several proposals were made to compel members to attend the session regularly. Majority Leader Prospero Nograles came out with “No Work, No Pay and Pork.” The proposed penalties for absenting from the session ranges from P3,000 to P10,000 per session and the reduction of pork barrel allocations.
“But cash penalties” according to Congressman Butch Aquino “is nothing especially to the super rich members of the house”. “You have sought this position of Congressman, and there is job description of being a congressman. You were elected by your people to be a congressman and you better work like a congressman”, Nograles told those absentee congressmen. . .
The best motivation for the leadership of congress to do to compel all members to attend sessions regularly is to report to their respective constituency the attendance of each member of congress at the end of every month. This can be done through the media. The media will in turn report it to the people.
Following Maslou’s theory of motivation, that absentee congressman maybe rejected in the next election by the electorate for his failure to ably represent his people in congress.
Reduction of pork barrel is not only penalizing the absentee representative but also the people whom the congressman failed to represent in congress. This is double jeopardy. /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@ahoo.com
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