"It is difficult for an honest man to work with the government." – The Bottomline
by MEGS S. LUNN
President Benigno S. Aquino, in his desire to clean up his government departments, appointed Sec. Rogelio Singson the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Sec. Singson said in one of his interviews just recently, that government spending has slowdown in terms of infrastructure as they align their department to focus on what is right, to transform first his department in terms of values and culture on how to work honestly and rightfully.
As noted, DPWH is one of the Top 3 Most Corrupt departments and operators in the government. While Sec. Singson accepted the position and the job with open eyes and understood perfectly where he is getting into, it is also his utmost desire to work to help the government and Pres. Aquino clean up DPWH of corruption.
During Arroyo’s administration, the spending on infrastructure was very visible especially on the countryside development. But when her term ended, it is now the government’s contingent liabilities to finish what she started, like the CAMANAVA mega-flood control project. Sec. Singson is now after the contractor and designer of this project to hold them liable and to make some corrections and to eventually have it running again.
On transforming the culture in his department, Sec. Singson said, "we start internally and I mean business, for my allies are the people, the general public." Their strategies are to bring NGO’s and Civic Society to help watch DPWH projects. As government employees, they believed they are accountable to the general public. The public should observe and report anomalies of any project implementation in their area.
For one, Sec. Singson walks his talk. As government leader, he shows how to change and manage their negative attitude by visiting places and discouraging the overspending on fancy food preparation and reception. He brings his own water and crackers in the meetings. Sec. Singson is giving them the chance to mend their wrong ways so that the transformation will come from them, and that people will see in them how to behave properly in terms of attitude towards spending the tax money of the people.
Sec. Singson believes that in one year as Secretary of DPWH, he has lessened corruption to more than 10 percent. But he has a long way to go. DPWH has adopted the policy of "doing the right projects, at the right cost and with the right quality". The source of corruption begins from the bidding process where the people in the department do not know how to make project proposals, instead, they just ask for a budget.
He also reported that in 2014, all primary (national) roads of which we have about 31,000 kilometers around the Philippines will be completed, while the minor ones will be in 2016. Therefore, he is confident that corruption in his department can be reduced, if not totally eliminated.
Sec. Singson has a covenant with his country. By going out of his comfort zone and because he loves the Philippines so much, he vowed to serve God and country through his position as DPWH Secretary to contribute to nation building. /MP
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