BASIC CHAPLAINCY AND

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
A CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON MORAL
REFORMS OF PUBLIC TRUST AND
INTEGRITY

Researcher:
ARMANDO M. TAACA
JURIS DOCTOR-IV
 A just and moral governance of spiritual cared
political leaders is the key to the restoration of
trust in the government. It is within this contexts
that reforms on public administration and basic
chaplaincy are imperative.
 MAIN PROBLEM:
What are the considerations on the features
of the Basic Chaplaincy ethos and the notion
of integrity and trust in public service?
SUB-PROBLEMS:
1. What are the cases of the Philippines zeroing in on the
most important value of public service ethics?
2. Why is it important to acquire and maintain the credibility
of the government in serving the people and in restoring
public trust?
3. Why are values and virtues of public ethics must be
upheld all the time?
4. How can public trust be endangered and maintained by
governance mechanism?
 ANALYSIS & FINDINGS
MAIN PROBLEM: What are the considerations on the features of the Basic Chaplaincy ethos and the notion of
integrity and trust in public service?

Basic Chaplaincy Ethos

PURPOSE OF BASIC CHAPLAINCY TO THE GOVERNMENT:
To promote nation-building with good-governance by
producing righteous leadership through the
deployment of chaplains/Values Formation Officers
among local government units that will unite all the
proponents of the mandate on Values Formation and
Moral Recovery under the spirit of cooperation and
working together in order to attain its vision to have
a Godly Filipino society with good governance.
 THE NOTION OF TRUST AND
INTEGRITY IN PUBLIC SERVICE
TRUST IS ABOUT “GOVERNANCE CAPITAL”:
Governance Capital is the exercise of political, economic,
administrative authority to manage nation’s affairs.
Governance calls for accountability, participation,
predictability and transparency. From the definition
itself, we can say that it takes a lot of “trust” from the
people to entrust to the government institutions and its
leaders the affairs of government that will affect the
whole society-positively and even negatively. When there
is trust, governing is easier.

Thus, integrity is doing the right thing even if no one

is looking, or even if others are not doing the right
thing.
SUB-PROBLEM: 1. Whatare the cases of the Philippines zeroing in on the most important value
of public service ethics?
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN PUBLIC SERVICE ETHICS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Infrastructure Projects of the Arroyo Administration

Public Trust of Politicians in the Philippines, 1999-2009/2010

2017 Corruption Index (Source: Transparency International)

SUB-PROBLEM: 2. Why is it important to acquire and maintain the credibility of the
government in serving the people and in restoring public trust?
IMPERATIVES FOR REFORM

Reform Framework for Governance

SUB-PROBLEM: 3. Why are in the Philippines, values and virtues of public ethics
must be upheld all the time?

a) Article XI, Section 1 states that, a “Public office is a public trust.

Public officers and employees must at all times be
accountable to the people, serve them with utmost
responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with
patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives” (1987 Philippine
Constitution).

b) This provision is also mentioned in Republic Act 6713 or the

Rules of Ethical Standards for Public Officers and Employees.

c) The above provision in the Philippine Constitution carries with it a

sense of duty and morality. The misuse and the abuse of power
is a breach of trust from the citizens.
SUB-PROBLEM: 4. How can public trust be endangered and maintained by
governance mechanism?

In the context of reforming institutions to combat corruption and

restore trust and build integrity in government, the following initiatives
must be made:
a) procedural changes to plug anti-corruption loopholes;

b) personnel’s areas of discretion; Improving technical

expertise, standardization and clarification of decision rules;

c) increasing visibility by making rules and procedures clear;

d) management audits as a ‘proactive” or preventive step; and

e) ethics seminars to address moral lapses; Institution of

rewards; and purges and variants.
 CONCLUSIONS
1. The Filipino value systems came out the existence of unhealthy
competition and conflicting values that the beauty of the
characteristics of sharing and complementing of gifting and
values is overlooked.
2. When there is corruption, the integrity of the government
official is being questioned.
3. In the Philippines, public trust is the fundamental principle of
office and requires full integrity and accountability of public
officers and employees.
4. Integrity in Public Service is important to acquire and
maintain the credibility of the government in serving the
people and in restoring public trust.
5. Leadership is central to effective and sustainable
implementation of programs, projects, and activities of the
government.
6. Engaging citizens is significantly important to any reform
efforts.
 RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The Filipino value system needs redemption.
2. To combat corruption and restore trust and build integrity in
government, attack the ethical-cultural system of the
Philippines.
3. Public sector reforms should be accompanied by reforms in
behavior, mindsets and eventually values to become effective.
4. Politicians in the Philippines should be viewed more in the
context of their relationship with the civil servants.
5. A transformational leader should have characters that would
make him fit in addressing the issues and concerns
corruption.
6. Philippines can tap the Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) in promoting restoration of trust initiatives