Corruption and Transparency in the Philippines

I welcome you all present here. Today I wish to share with you some
of my views on the prevailing practice of corruption. My name is Mark
Johnley Cabalbag, I am here to present a speech about Corruption here in the
Philippines. In one aspect or the other, we all have come across the word
‘Corruption.’ The most common definition of corruption is "the abuse of
public power for private gain." By Corruption it erudes trust, weakens
democracy, hampers economic development and further exacerbates
inequality, social division, environmental crisis and poverty.

Corruption here in the Philippines has been accepted truth for many
years. When running for a position, many politicians use the concept of
being “clean” to separate themselves from the corrupt ones. However,
politicians are just one of the many causes of corruption. Corruption here,
most unfortunately, has become a staple issue–one that seems to have no
solution. The belief that politics is evil is further enforced by just how
widespread it is. But why is corruption so widespread in the country? The
short answer is that there is a severe lack of transparency and accountability
in this country. This is further worsened by monopoly on products and
services. Coupled together, corruption becomes ever-present from a micro
(such as small individual bribes in a private corporation) to macro-level (like
the more problematic judicial corruption in the Philippines).

The question of how to prevent corruption in the Philippines is always

present, but the best way to answer it is by understanding its root causes.
Corruption flourishes when someone has monopoly power over a product or
service and has discretion to decide how much to receive, and where
accountability and transparency are weak. Incompetence and corruption are
also closely linked together. So, to fight corruption, we and that includes all
of us must reduce monopoly power, reduce discretion and increase
accountability in many ways. Or in other words, Corruption is endemic. It
cannot be stopped but it can be minimized. Considering how ingrained
corruption is in the country, finding the answers to this question can be quite
difficult. There are many studies concerning corruption, which tells us that it
is a common phenomenon globally. Finding a solution to corruption here in
the Philippines will undoubtedly take time and it will take both institutional
and cultural changes to enact it well. However, on a micro-level, staying
morally upright is one of the best ways to combat the ever-growing
corruption.