The Social Accountability Antiserum for Corruption

Source: www.paulhawken.com

The photo above shows Paul Hawken, a very famous environmentalist, author and entrepreneur. His quote below relates to my own social accountability advocacy.

Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them. - Paul Hawken

Contrary to what many of us have been accustomed to, I believe that graft and corruption will not be solved by mere anti-corruption measures. I firmly believe in the social accountability approach that uses constructive engagement between citizens and government.

Citizens around the world are discovering the power of social accountability to influence government institutions and programs, and, consequently, shape the life of their communities. Social accountability -  in the words of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability in East Asia and Pacific (ANSA-EAP) - refers to initiatives taken by citizen groups to hold government to account for its decisions and actions. It is citizen groups claiming their right to keep an eye on how government goes about its business. This undertaking, also known as a social contract between the citizens and the government is called constructive engagement. Although social accountability action does not always require it, a noticeable side of constructive engagement is that it is always accompanied - and oftentimes even preceded - by intense political action and pressure by citizens. Of course this is only possible when reciprocal trust and openness is willingly given to each other. Constructive engagement does not necessarily mean that the citizen groups should no longer disagree with the government or vice versa, it simply means that both parties are open and responsive to each other.

Although both concepts may appear to be closely related, and in some aspects, overlapping within the bigger framework of actions supporting good governance, social accountability has a more basic character that its absence connotes bad governance defined as the lack of transparency, accountability and participation. Anti-corruption mechanisms are usually fault finding, investigative, prosecuting, highly technical and antagonistic in nature while social accountability is citizen centered, engaging, sympathetic where citizens are co-drivers or co-operators and generative where the tools are less technical and systematic. Anti-corruption methods give a premise that corruption is already in place while social accountability addresses the issue of governance more than the (corruption) offense committed. Social accountability works on citizens to curtail anti-corruption efforts and eventually improve basic service delivery by the government. Anti-corruption puts focus on government systems and processes. There is still citizen's involvement in anti-corruption but the primary concern is the system and thus, the end goal of anti-corruption is to improve performance. In contrast, social accountability focuses on civic consciousness and engagement thereby being citizen centered. The end goal of social accountability is to demand what is rightfully theirs and not point out flaws in the system. Anti-corruption involves laws, processes and systems to improve operations. In a sense, anti-corruption can be a result of social accountability. In fact, one of the intermediary objectives that social accountability is working is the diminution of corruption.

Graft and corruption is apparently inherent in our system but social accountability champions would never bow down and say that this is the way the cookie crumbles. Instead many people are now looking for a cure to this communicable disease. However, I say that social accountability is like a vitamin that improves the immunity of our government to deflect graft and corruption. It is just strategic to focus our efforts in thwarting graft and corruption rather than stopping it because in all aspects, prevention is always better than cure.

The Goal: Good Governance

Photo from: www.portalestoria.net

Laisenia Qarase, the man above, is a Fijian political figure who served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. It was something that he said that inspired me to write this blog on Good Governance:

A well balanced, inclusive approach, according to certain standards and ideals, is essential for the proper governance of any country. 

Throughout the years we have been longing for good governance in the Philippines that it is no longer strange to hear people talk about it at anytime and anywhere. But what do we really know about good governance? In essence, good governance includes the characteristics of accountability, consensus-oriented, participatory, transparent, follow the rule of law, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive.

It has been established that good governance is now an accepted goal by all governments in the world. There has also been a long debate in the way our country should be governed. We also have a number of political leaders and enough leadership styles to make a good comparison. Sometimes, the ideal state can be derived from combining the best and scrapping the ones that were never effective. But achieving good governance is an ideal state that remains to be perplexing. Many factors has to be to considered in the process. This step is somehow similar to the process of elimination. Good governance has eight major characteristics that assures corruption is minimized and the voices of the most vulnerable in the society are heard in decision-making.

image source: techno-marketer

One characteristic I feel is very important in governance is transparency, for it ensures that operations and enforcements are done in a manner that follows rules and regulations. In one of our Power, Ethics and Accountability (PETHAC) class, Ms. Lucy Lazo recounted her experience as Executive Director of Techincal Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) many years back that emphasized the importance of transparency in governance. The case of graft and corruption in TESDA during her time was  a clear representation of lack of transparency in doing transactions. For Ms. Lazo, a streamlined process or bureaucracy means having a transparent system. Rules and regulations, steps and processes must be known by everyone to have less opportunity or window for graft and corruption. Transparency can also mean having access to important information by the people directly affected by these information. Part of access to information is making these information available in easily understandable forms and media. Through proper Information and Communication Technology (ICT) channels, another resource person in class - Mr. Willie Parayno, said that the public can be kept well informed and eventually lead them to exercise their rights as citizens in governance.

image source: learner lawyer's in Bangladesh

Good governance also requires rules of law or the fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially. This essential characteristic of good governance was reiterated by the story that Ms. Ava Cariquez shared with us also in class which described impartial enforcement of the law by her not being able to buy her way out when she was sentenced reclusion perpetua. That despite being very powerful, the rule of law prevailed and Ms. Ava, however unfortunately, paid the price of her actions. I learned from her the charity of the heart, that life is being a man and woman for others which is something most our officials need. When you start to think of the good of the public you serve, you begin to regard the rule of law with impartiality which perhaps is a first step toward good governance.  

image source: Cassandra Security

One cannot help think of accountability when we speak of good governance. For Ms. Sonia Roco, accountability is the key requirement of good governance. She defined public accountability as the government fulfilling its commitments to its people. This includes being transparent in the use of public resources especially funds or what is commonly known as the Public Finance Management. Public finance management refers to the system, process and framework of collecting resources in a sufficient and appropriate manner and allocating and using these resources responsively, efficiently and effectively. (source: Affiliated Network for Social Accountability for East Asia and Pacific, 2010) Managing of funds also include monitoring whether the budget was spent according to plan or if it was allocated properly. Ms. Roco emphasized that accountability starts with spending public money efficiently. This would ensure that there is minimum wastage or theft and that the public actually benefits. The important value of accountability is trustworthiness but it can also not be implemented without transparency and the rule of law.

I learned a lot from the personal life stories and work experiences of the speakers in our PETHAC class but overall I learned that our country does not need reform, rather it needs a process of reform. We cannot change our country over night.  It will take a lot of effort to make our officials demonstrate and promote ethical standards in managing our country. It involves listening to their feelings to tell whether they are doing right or wrong. The process of reform also needs leaders who listen not only to what the people are saying but also to what they are not saying. However, in a culture that views corruption as norm, a servant leader is desired. But until we totally change the way we elect our leaders, until we remove private money from public campaigns, lying will be the actual practice of governance in this country and a major obstruction toward our goal of good governance. I guess it is high time we change the way the cookie crumbles, don't you think?

A Sense of being - Ethically - Filipino

Photo from: jimbuie.blogs.com

I was inspired by a quote by Roy Edward Disney that I stumbled across a few months ago:

"It is not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are."

His surname automatically gives away his identity as the longtime Senior Executive for the Walt Disney Company, which his father Roy Oliver Disney and uncle Walt Disney founded. This quote struck me as I reflect on a context that our Power, Ethics and Accountability professor, Corazon Alma de Leon, posed where she said, Despite the fact that many human values are inconsistent, conflicting and unrealistic, they are a fact of life. Everyone must have his quota of values; without them, he is a ship without a rudder. 

Filipinos in the whole world are known for being extraordinarily hospitable. We are generally friendly and welcoming to strangers and guests, making sure that they are comfortable and happy. Filipinos are also very family oriented. We value our families so much that they are always on top of our priorities. Filipinos are also happy people, always smiling and never forget to have a good laugh despite the problems and hardships that come their way. These are some of the many Filipino values that we all know and share.

Photo from: bobonghouse.blogspot.com

The sense of being a Filipino does not end in the values we possess. One has to also understand the psychology of a Filipino to appreciate our thoughts and actions. Perhaps not unique to the Filipinos is our fondness of taboo which merited a very familiar tagalog phrase, masarap ang bawal. This thought is rooted in our system that we use it to justify wrong actions such as eating foods not good for our body or crossing the street even with a blaring no crossing sign displayed in front. Filipinos are also indisputably onion skinned, making us easily excited and hurt. This is perhaps the reason we Filipinos are quick to see flaws in the system and are always complaining. We get a glimpse of this very filipino trait in all our local movies, songs, and is also embodied in our national historical events such the EDSA Revolution. Thus we can say that this trait practically defines us Filipinos. Some highly associate this trait to tantrums but it can only mean that Filipinos are in most cases considerate or concerned. Closely associated with the value of hospitality, Filipinos also love to share. It is very rare that you see a Filipino saying no and I think when you put all of these traits and values together, we Filipinos are by and large good natured.

Our guest speaker Ms. Rose Yenko affirmed my above sentiments in her lecture on Filipino psyche by introducing various Filipino archetypes. These archetypes clearly depicted the most common traits and values that are uniquely Filipino. Given a chance to identify the archetype I belong to is a changing experience. It helped me discover my capabilities and made me aware of the people around me. I used to judge people at first glance and use this as basis for liking or hating them accordingly. But after given a chance to interact with a classmate, exchange views and discover the possibilities of really having multiple archetypes in a group was very moving. I learned to appreciate each of my classmates' strengths, weaknesses and saw where they are coming from. The exercise not only introduced me to the real me but gave me a sense of being a Filipino. Our class was a representation of our country having varying opinions and traits. The relationship can be very dynamic but with proper guidance and control, will be a strong force to reckon with. I believe each of us need to find where we are good at or which trait we most actively possess and use its true potential to drive the nation to where it is supposed to be because not knowing and appreciating each other’s personal (individual) traits is usually where we all break into fights.

More importantly, Ms. Yenko’s lecture asserted the two core Filipino values I know, the sense of togetherness or pakikipag kapwa tao and loyalty or katapatan. These two values are very evident around us specially in the government. We see public servants who work according to these two values. Though these values are meant to be good, some politicians use these in a manner that we deemed unethical. Coupled with utang na loob or indulgence, these values could be the source of most troubles especially if the one these politicians are loyal to have no regard for others but themselves. In fact, most corruption cases can be attributed to the misuse and abuse of these two values. There have been unending debates on how to resolve corruption problems in our country but I have come to realize that the answer really is within each of us. Just like what Ms. Yenko helped me understand, we just have to discover, appreciate and use our own traits and values properly. However difficult it may seem, you can not simply stop and say, this is just the way the cookie crumbles soon as you realize that there is really something you can do to change the situation for the better.

Photo from: georgiosmavridis.wordpress.com

Having said that and contrary to what many think, I believe that ethics or ethical behavior can be taught. Studies have shown that changes in ethical behavior is associated with the number of years of formal education and that deliberate educational attempts to influence moral problems and a person’s ability to reason is effective. But in my opinion, learning how to behave morally correct need not come from a full blown ethics course. Since we are influenced by our own moral perception and judgement, short exercises or activities such as the one given to us by Ms. Yenko can make us realize our own definition of being ethical. So the question really is not whether ethics can be taught, rather, are we willing and able to practice behavior that we consider ethical? Because regardless of our archetype, we can all be ethical in many ways possible. It is still our personal choice to do and be good regardless of your archetype.

Eating, Praying and Questions about Love

I consider Sunday my ultimate rest day. After being subjected to work (and sometimes personal)- related stress from Monday to Friday and doing student duties on Saturday, I take Sunday as MY day. A day to choose what time I will rise to start the day. That is why I am stunned to be awake at this hour, blogging.

My unusual Sunday did not just start with me getting out of bed before my customary waking hour, I also woke up baffled and sobbing. In my previous blog entry on Love is the Answer, I said:

"If however you have some difficulties in waking up (in the morning), then you are most likely missing something in your life or have made pretty poor decisions that you are hesitant to face."

I felt that I may be lacking something good in my life right now or am about to make an appallingly hasty decision soon, either way, I am in deep trouble. And with a heavy heart, I am pouring my mind and heart out in this blog hoping to find an explanation.

Last night I was brave enough to admit to a friend that I am confused by the many things that are running in my mind lately. What has made it different this year is that I am juggling my time and effort on work, my personal life and studies. Suddenly, I find myself swamped with overwhelming responsibilities coupled with life's ups and downs. An experience that leaves me shaken most of the time. I seem to want to do so many things but I either have no capacity or the time to be able to perform all of them. And of course there is my constant longing for stability, security and happiness.  A dilemma I share with Elizabeth Gilbert, the character Julia Roberts play in the movie Eat, Pray, Love.

My friend kept asking me after the movie what I learned or what my word was but unfortunately, I was not able to give a concrete answer. Now that I have enough time to think about it, I could have said I learned to be free. I have been so focused on keeping it all together that I seemed to have lost the real me and now, I crave for freedom.

Coincidentally, I was able to EAT, LOVE and PRAY, in this particular order, yesterday.  

EAT. In the morning, I enjoyed goto, tokwa't baboy and pizza in our class merienda. At lunch, I was treated to a wonderful meal for the first time by a prominent classmate. I was the only girl in the group of five (at that time) but them boys did not for a second make me feel out of place. I had a crab and mango salad and few bites of sweet cakes. After that I had coffee and a slice of carrot loaf with a friend in a coffee shop. While watching the movie, we had popcorn and had an almost Italian dinner after. I always think I was born to eat, hence my monicker Growing Kid. The movie Eat, Pray, Love says that we should not be afraid to eat and forget about watching those stressful calories and carbs. This does not mean having an epicurean feast but rather just appreciating the food you take in every moment.

LOVE. I really can't think of a concrete way of putting what I felt about love yesterday but it was simply overpowering. From my dogs wanting to be with me in the morning, my classmates loving the lucid AVP I integrated for our group presentation, the plain food that my mom prepared for us, and to the great time I had with a friend last night. I was in a sense dumbfounded. But in the movie, I learned a lot about love and loving. The movie taught me not to be afraid and be strong. It emphasized a quote in the book which says, “In desperate love, we always invent the characters of our partners, demanding they be what we need of them, and then feeling devastated when they refuse to perform the role we created in the first place.” In so many ways, this quote is so relevant to me which I intend to elaborate a little toward the end of this blog.  

PRAY. I returned home an hour before midnight and I prayed. I prayed mostly to thank God for his blessings and to help ease my confusion. When we pray, we usually pray for ourselves, our family and friends. The movie made me see another aspect of prayer that I have yet to experience. I realized that praying is also a good form of meditation that can release stress, rest our mind and nourish our soul. After watching the movie, it made me really want to push my plans to go to India next year, find myself an ashram, pray and meditate to find peace and balance. I think my take-home from the film was really to take a break from my busy life and try the easy meditation taught by an Indonesian medicine man which is simply to smile, a genuine smile from inside.

But it really was not the movie that yanked me out of bed at 4:00 in the morning, it is something that I have been going through lately that I need to resolve. In fact, the movie which I thought would help me sort out my troubled heart confused me even more. I remember blogging about Infidelity somewhere in cyberspace around February 2006 where I said that Infidelity is a sign that something is wrong in a relationship. It usually happens when you feel that you are with the wrong person, and when the assuming "right person" comes along, that is when the temptation is so hard to resist. This morning, in between sobs, I was praying and asking myself if I am in fact breaching faith or falling out? Could happy moments with someone I have just known for a short time replace the long years of perceived happiness? Was I really happy all those years or am I just desperately in love? I know that no one could answer these questions (and more) for me however, I eagerly need help. I wept because I am afraid.   

Clearly, I am only human. I am not spared from the difficulties of life. Despite my aim of infusing inspiration to many who read my blog, I too am in constant battle for happiness and content. But however tough and complicated my life seems to be, I never cease to remind myself that there are always other things in life greater than the complications I am experiencing where I can focus my attention. After all, this is just the way the cookie crumbles!

Love is the answer

What do you want to see when you wake up in the morning? 

A question bestowed upon us by Professor Corazon Alma De Leon this morning. As I pondered about this, initially, I thought of an ideal state: serenity. A world without chaos, war, poverty or famine. A perfect place to live, a paradise so to speak. But let's face it, utopia - a state of things in which everything is perfect - does not actually exist. 

Now that I thought about it much longer, I would really want to see the ceiling of my room instead of the underside of a coffin lid when I wake up in the morning. I want to wake up in the same bed I slept in. In other words, I want to see a new life, a new day each time I wake up. I want to see my mom and brother and my two dogs, Kami and Egoy, alive and well. I want a view of the sky and look at the flowers and the trees in our so called garden. More importantly, I want to wake up every morning, breathe and see the wonders of God's creation. My dusty sea shell wall clock, the teddy bear prints of my blanket, my dilapidated cabinet, my cluttered study table and my filthy electric fan. Just by being able to see these imperfections, I am reminded of the blessing of life I receive from God each day. 

I know most of us are uncomfortable looking at ourselves in the mirror when we wake up in the morning simply because we are reluctant to see our (physical) flaws. On the contrary, I like seeing these flaws for they are indications that the world I am in is far from an inception or an imagination. If you have created an overall love filled, love oriented life; waking up in the morning and looking into those smiling loving eyes and facing your self created life is pleasant again and again. If however you have some difficulties in waking up, then you are most likely missing something in your life or have made pretty poor decisions that you are hesitant to face.

I am very grateful to have heard Ava Cariquez speak about her self created life this morning in class. Her unusual life experiences and how she faced them was very inspiring. Her story led me to believe that we truly are the masters of our lives. We each create our own eternal happiness, we are the "captain of our soul" and hence the master of our future as well. If our present is pleasant then the hours and the day after waking up is as pleasant as you have made them and whatever is pleasant to you will be pleasant to all. Being in prison for eleven (11) years changed Ava as a person. From someone who do not see life's worth, her daughter's death and being sentenced to reclusion perpetua led Ava to become a woman for others. Saying that life is difficult for Ava is an understatement being perhaps the only Atenean who was affirmed of the sentence and placed in the women's correctional for a crime (parricide) she had no recollection of committing. It is really tough to be fully receptive to enjoy, create and improve on our joy day by day given the problems we face. But we have to recognize that each time we wake up in the morning is a possible door to another happy day full of new and exciting adventures. If you create the basis of such joy and happiness by adding love in what you do, you create a life of your own. Ava's story taught me to improve on love in my life by developing a true spirituality and an intimate relationship with God and all of his creations. It is my responsibility to create my own satisfying life. It is a divine duty to either be delightful to everyone or ensure that no one ever gets bothered by my being unhappy or annoyed and my constant complaining. Moreso, it is a divine and moral obligation to be a source of joy to all mankind, animals, nature, and to God as well. God gave us equal resources and equal potential. The difference we see among us is simply a result or expression of the misuse of such equal chances and potential. For Ava who accepted all challenges in her life, she was able to see and value the simple joys of life. With that I discovered that the faster you accept all the challenges given to you, the more experiences and skills you will have and the stronger and more sweet your life will be.

From all the things I noticed and heard today, I realized that life is an awful big adventure and I have to be willing to take risks or try out new methods, ideas or experiences in order to see its value. Mainly,  amidst the hullabaloo, I am still able to stand up and say, that's the way the cookie crumbles. But above all, I fathomed that love is truly the answer. Love for myself and love for others. Love is what I would really like to see when I wake up in the morning.

My Teacher, My Hero

Today we appreciate the role of teachers worldwide with enthusiasm as we celebrate World Teacher's Day. In the Philippines, the Department of Education launches the My Teacher, My Hero campaign where everyone is encouraged to say thank you to a particular teacher who made an impact or difference in their life. In this modern age, blogging and social networking sites are expected to take a lead role in getting this message of gratitude across, precisely why I am blogging about it now.  

Similar to the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), Filipino teachers are regarded as modern-day heroes thus their efforts also merit a nationwide celebration. In a country where public education is a continuing struggle, teachers have the most grueling task of educating more than hundreds of students everyday. More often than not, they do this in an environment non-conducive to learning and with a minuscule salary. Oftentimes, they even double as food preparer for their school's feeding program. Everyday is a constant fight for security, given the incidence of kidnappings in the South and isolated cases of killings. Yet despite the precarious living, Filipino teachers would shrug off saying, that's just the way the cookie crumbles. For me, teachers are still one of the most dedicated and committed workers you could find. To such a great extent, teachers bring out the best in us and inspire us to be hardworking. If you ask kindergarten students what they like to be when they grow up, you will find teachers on top of the list. That is how great a teacher's influence is on us.  

I believe at one point we all have teacher's blood running in our veins. We all want and aspire to become teachers in our own little way. May it be by teaching our children good manners, mentoring a cousin, sharing life lessons to a neighbor, demonstrating how to apply make up to a friend or through blogging or twitting a scripture passage to all of our friends. Part of us yearns to make a difference, a quality that teachers naturally possess. Last year, we saw this inspiration come to life in Efren Peñaflorida, who started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership. His teacherly efforts named him 2009 CNN Hero of the Year. 

Happy Teacher's Day Ms. Windsor!

For me, a good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. A metaphor I associate with my third year High School homeroom adviser and English professor, Ms. Bernadette Windsor. After more than a decade of not seeing her, her face is the only one I vividly remember among all of my teachers. A powerful testament of the impression she left on me. From her I learned to come to class prepared, physically (standing up for the entire period for not reading the assignment) and mentally (getting an "A" in recitation). At 14, she taught me good grooming (by bringing a nail cutter to class during inspections), proper conduct (by giving me dagger looks when I misbehave) and that Anne Boleyn is one of the many wives of Henry VIII. An authoritarian with high expectations of compliance and conformity to rules and directions, I learned a great deal of discipline and in effect basic work ethics. Some may not appreciate her teaching method but she made a difference in my life as she pushed me to become a better student and eventually the person that I am today. With that, I am forever indebted to her tenacity.  

I assert that teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions. Now I am not surprised why many aspire to become teachers regardless of the complications. I am one of them. But until I gain enough courage to inspire other people, I will use my talent to acquire a greater understanding of the world and share it to as many people as I can. Hoping that someday I will be someone else's unsung hero.

Genesis

Everything has its origin, we know this from a fact. From the various creation theories of the world down to the legends we grew up in, we believe that nothing came to existence without a source. Some might rebuke or oppose this statement but I know most will concur that everything is created. Today is nothing special in Philippine History but it marks for me a beginning, an origin.

Reading a friend's most recent blog entry made me reminiscent of the times when I used to regularly maintain a journal of my own. Today is mostly my recognition of a common Filipino phrase we can all relate with:

"Kung kaya niya, kaya ko din."

It has been a while since I started writing my thoughts online, four (4) years ago to be exact. I remember my friends and I used to own a private online journal only we can access. Malditas, as we call our journal, aimed to bring us together despite the physical distance separating the three of us. The online group journal served its purpose unfortunately, we were only able to sustain the journal for a year. We continued to rely on YM and Facebook to keep in touch. Then I tried Friendster's blogging capability as a personal journal, sadly, it suffered the same fate as the Malditas' journal. I guess it is safe to say that both have long been deep-sixed. In a sense, this initial blog entry did not spring from oblivion. I have these two online journals, though abandoned, to validate my earlier assertion.

As I look back on my previous journals and attempt to look into my blogging future, I realize that blogging is a life commitment. I have to commit my precious time and my puny creative talent in making this possible. The success of my blog lies on keeping it regularly updated, relevant and alive. Something I see as a BIG challenge for a time juggler like me especially faced with stringent work and graduate school deadlines. I do hope that my training in time management and discipline as a student athlete six (6) years ago is enough to support the momentum or interest.

Like the Genesis story of creation, I would like to think that my blogging world is a process. I, as the creator, would also need a few more days to get it up and running. It will be a work in progress, not perfect and unending. A personal journal that would portray in a few image and words how everything that exist in this world go. Through my words, allow me to communicate the obvious; confirm or deny; uncover the big picture; create discourse; show the zests in life and the human side of every story. I aspire that everyone and not just Bruce Almighty will see that this is the way the cookie crumbles.