OPEN UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS

Lingayen, Pangasinan

MASTER IN DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT

MAJOR IN PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

MDMN 208
Local Governance and Regional Administration
First Semester, A.Y. 2023-2024

Activity No. 2
Reflection Paper on “The Everyday Mason” by DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo

Submitted by:

JUDY GRACE T. BULLO-MENCINO

23-OUS-5002

Submitted to:

DR.ABELARDO S. ABALOS
Professor, MDMN 208

September 30, 2023

 Reading former DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo’s keynote speech delivered on
August 21, 2012, during the occasion of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons
of the Philippines, Camarines Sur Capitol Convention Center, Pili, Camarines Sur, I
cannot helped but to be nostalgic of the fond memories as well as the words of wisdom
that Sir Jesse has shared during his stint as one of the Resource Speakers in the
Development Academy of the Philippines – Graduate School of Public and Development
Management (DAP-GSPDM) when I was once a technical staff at DAP-GSPDM.
Notwithstanding Sir Jesse’s distinguished accomplishments recognized locally and
abroad, he remained humble and down-to-earth. He was our “gold standard” for being an
exemplary leader, one who walked the talk on being a catalyst of change.

In his keynote speech entitled “Everyday Mason”, Sec. Robredo addressed the
Masons of the Philippines, but his speech is also relevant to all Filipinos from all walks of
life most especially to public servants most especially in the realm of governance, public
policy and in the improvement of public service. Let me cull out the following phrases and
words that impacted me most:

• The success of our programs will depend on real people power anchored on values
of integrity and excellence. Thus, what we need now at this crucial juncture is people
cementing collaborations to fight corruption, mediocrity, and division in our society.
What we need now are people like you, who are leaders and thinkers. Masons who
live and propagate the values of commitment to truth, justice, patriotism and
selflessness.

Sec. Robredo underscored the importance of values-based leadership and

leadership by example as important tools in the successful implementation of
development-oriented programs and projects. Relating this to the field of public
administration or public management, values or virtues of leaders, organizations and
citizenry are of great significance. Values are essential in the field of Public
Administration as they serve as yardstick or barometer of standards that prescribe
how development-oriented goals should be attained, and how public institutions
should behave in the way they deliver services to the people and utilize resources.
 “Public values are defined as those values that provide normative consensus
about (1) the rights, benefits and prerogatives to which citizens should (and should
not be entitled); (2) the obligations of citizens to society, the state and one another;
and (3) the principles upon which governments and policies must be based.” (de
Vires, 2011)

Anchored on the above principles, the values that leaders invoke should also
a way of life that is embodied and translated in the manner of program
implementation. Genuineness, transparency and commitment to public service
should be the guiding tenets of public leaders as well as the electorates who voted
these political leaders.

Consequently, the challenge lies on how to promote and institutionalize public

values and virtues among government officials and employees that amid the well-
enshrined ethical standards for government officials and employees, there are still
rampant cases of violations on the said code of conduct and ethical standards.

• Let me move to my second point. We do not need another EDSA. EDSA is a dramatic
event that I hope we will never need again because we were driven to it by a dictator.
For me, for our country to move ahead, EDSA must be everyday. That means we try
to involve everyone. That means everyone understands he has an obligation to serve.
That means reform is an everyday activity. That means that the daily grind is more
important than the one-time heroic moment.

I agree with Sir Jesse. The country does not need another EDSA Revolution to
effect change. What our country truly needs is not another revolution; rather, what it
needs is social transformation or evolution.

The underpinnings of the Philippine society and Filipino nation have been
shaped by its colorful history, customs, and traditions which have impacts on
governance, public policy formulation and public service delivery. Social and
structural changes could address the ills and decays in Philippine politics and
governance.
 Public servants, as catalysts of change, play pivotal roles in the transformation
mentioned by Sec. Jesse in the abovesaid essay. One does not need monumental
actions to change the society we live in. Our daily simple acts could help transform
the society. From the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change that you wish to see
the world.” The daily ethical actions of every public servant when compounded
together, could truly change the face of governance and public service delivery.

As I ponder on these words, I reminded my self to focus on making a

difference in my own little way, one day at a time.

• If you’ve noticed, society has been slowly opening its doors to government. And both
are willing to network for the sake of change. The government is capitalizing on this
openness with new programs that harness real people power.

Seemingly, the process of transformation has begun. Our society is witnessing

the development in governance wherein the government, the private sector and civil
society organizations are working together to address societal problems. We see
citizens, businesses, entrepreneurs, and foundations often turn to each other rather
than rely on the public sector to coordinate solutions for societal problems. We often
see these partnerships and collaborations in times of calamities. The Filipino
Bayanihan spirit still lives on; the institutions in our society just need to tap and
harness good Filipino values as well as provide avenues on how to use them well.

Nowadays, convergence has not only become a buzz word but a social
innovation that is aimed to be a solution to address entrenched societal issues and
concerns. Cognizant of the importance of convergence of efforts of different
stakeholders, citizens collaborate and work among their peers to address problems,
businesses and companies develop greater corporate social responsibility and social
awareness to easily channel resources and the public sector integrate all players and
contributors to the solution of the problem.
• Knowing many things is easy. Search Google. Using that knowledge to truly serve, now
that’s what it means to be a Mason.

Choosing service over self-interest is the hallmark of a true public servant.

Indeed, Sec. Jesse walked his talk. He has lived the ideals of a genuine public
servant. He was an exemplary leader. By his legacies, he left the world a little better
than he found it. The country had lost an exceptional servant-leader from his untimely
demise.

Sec. Jesse, in his speech, heralded the concept of stewardship. This concept
has a Biblical underpinning. To quote Daniel Conway, “stewardship refers to the
Judeo-Christian belief that each of us has been blessed by God with certain talents,
abilities, resources, and opportunities that we are called to nurture and develop for
our own good and for the good of the human family. Because God has appointed us
as stewards, or caretakers, of the world in which we live, we do not really own or
possess anything. Instead, we act on behalf of a loving but demanding God who
expects us to render an account of our use of the resources (time, talent, and
treasure) that have been entrusted to our care.” (Conway, 2005)

I am deeply humbled with this reminder. Realizing that I am living on a

borrowed time and everything else is temporary, my talents, treasure and time should
be geared towards the betterment of the world I live in and every person that I would
be interacting. To be a public servant is a calling that I must adhere as part of my
mission in life. A good public servant is a good steward who, at the end of the day, is
accountable before God.
• You cannot focus on simply what you want to become; you need to care about how
you will get there. By doing so, you will be the embodiment of your creed.

Sec Jesse reminded the Masons on the importance of mission and vision
in one’s personal life and most especially in the delivery of public service. As public
servants traverse the roadmap towards success or the realization of organizational
vision, mission and goals, one should not only focus on the destination, but also
needs to put attention on “how to get there”.

The government and all its actors carry with them key missions in service of
the citizens, engage with its various stakeholders and act as cost-effective stewards
of public resources. Notwithstanding the performance of these daily grind, there is
also a need to step back, look back, assess the current reality and provide
perspectives to paint a vision on the future of public service and governance.
Visioning for tomorrow’s government should also lay the roadmap on how to
maximize benefits, minimize risks, address issues and challenges with potential
innovations.

References:

Conway, D. (2005). Stewardship. USA: Twenty-Third Publications.

de Vires, M. S. (2011). Value and Virtue in Public Administration: A Comparative Perspective. New York:
Palgrave Macmillan.