Garcia, Emmeraine V.

Oriño, Jhomar K.

Bloated Bureaucracy

Philippine bureaucracy has evolved over a period of time. In 1900, An Act for the
Establishment of an Efficient and Honest Civil Service in the Philippines was
established. It covers national and local positions under the Civil Service with a system
of merit and qualification underscoring competence, independence, and integrity in
public service. Philippine Commission and a constitution containing separate provisions
on civil service was established which stipulates that all appointments to government
positions should be made only based on merit of fitness to be determined in a
competitive examination. From post-war era until Benigno Aquino III’s administration, a
lot of reforms to make the bureaucracy respond to needs and demands of citizenry have
been introduced. Duplication and overlapping of functions in personnel and agencies
are noted, resulting in more inefficiency and waste of resources. Reports of overstaffed
yet unmanned agencies especially in areas where political patronage is high are all to
common. Problems in personnel administration are probably a lifetime concern of the
bureaucracy. Reorganization was seen as an excuse to practice patronage politics.
People were granted positions according to their political loyalties, which resulted to a
very top-heavy bureaucracy with some departments having as many as five
undersecretaries and eight assistant secretaries.

A study conducted by the Civil Service Commission in 2008 revealed that Arroyo
appointed an excess of eighty one (81) undersecretaries and assistant secretaries, fifty
three (53) presidential advisers and presidential assistants, and unknown number of
consultants. The biggest number of excess hires was noted from the Office of the
President itself with thirty one (31) undersecretaries and assistant secretaries. It was
estimated that 56 percent of government managers do not have civil service eligibility.
Aside from a bloated democracy, these unqualified appointees have caused
demoralization among the rank-and-file and the politicization of the bureaucracy. The
government is bloated or ballooned with bureaucrats that would lead to inefficiency and
more unaccountability. Civil Service Commission is often ignored by the persons in
position because during elections, positions are being promised and reserved for their
loyal supporters once they won the office; a practice called “spoils system” which is in
violation to the civil service provision of avoiding nepotism, patronage, political
partisanship and graft and corruption. This practice is contrary to civil service provision
of preserving political neutrality. Perhaps a strong monitoring program and regular
assessment is needed to check whether values formation initiatives answer the
organizational needs of agencies.