Benel D. Lagua l July 11, 2024 l Manila Bulletin
Good governance is essential for development. It helps countries improve economic growth, build human capital, and strengthen social cohesion. The Worldwide Governance Indicator (WGI) features six aggregate governance indicators for over 200 countries and territories from 1996 to 2022.
In the WGI, government effectiveness captures perceptions of the quality of public services, the quality of civil service, the quality of policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of the government’s commitment to such policies. In 2022, the percentile rank of the Philippines among all countries (0 (lowest) to 100 (highest rank)) is 56.13. The estimate of governance is +0.06, -2.5 (weak) to +2.5 (strong) governance. The earliest data is from 1996 when the Philippines’ rank was 44.81, and the estimate of governance was -0.31.
The country has improved in 24 years. At least, we are now in the dead middle, whereas before, the country was on the weak side. The skeptic will, however, say the needle has not moved enough.
The Development Academy of the Philippines, through its Productivity and Development Center (DAP-PDC), conducts a biennial survey involving face-to-face interviews of citizens who completed transactions with frontline services of selected national government agencies (NGAs) and local government units. In 2022, the Government-to-Citizen (G2C) satisfaction score nationwide was a high 96.9 percent, composed of 55.34 percent very satisfied and 41.62 percent satisfied with their transactions.
The G2C Satisfaction scores for clusters of NGAs were as follows: one-stop shops scored 98.55 percent, social and welfare agencies registered 96.82 percent, civil registration services scored 96.65 percent, and licensing or regulation agencies scored 96.42 percent.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) conducts a quarterly customer satisfaction survey to assess and measure customer perception of those accessing PSA certifications such as for birth, marriage and death. In 2023, while respondents’ awareness of the Office Citizen Charter was modest at 52.9 percent, the overall satisfaction rating score hit 4.7, equivalent to very satisfied. It covers eight dimensions—responsiveness, reliability, access and facilities, communication, cost, integrity, and outcome.
These surveys augur well for the country. Despite all the skepticism about the government and our convoluted political scenario, our frontline agencies are improving.
This author renewed his driver’s license recently at a mall. Before actual renewal, an online driver’s exam needed to be passed. The renewal process took a little over one hour, with the release of the plastic license for this priority senior client.
Pag-IBIG Fund was another pleasant surprise. About a year into the pandemic, it was time to secure my savings benefits. My staff advised me to request a release through Pag-IBIG’s online facility. I didn’t have to visit a physical branch, and in no time, my modest savings were released to a nominated bank.
There is the Modified Pag-IBIG 2 (MP2) for those looking for a good investment outlet. It is a unique savings facility with a five-year maturity, designed for Fund members and open to pensioners and retirees who were former Fund members. For the past five years, the average yearly dividend rate was at 6.6 percent net. It is tax-free, and dividends can be withdrawn annually or after the five-year maturity. MP2 savings are safe and government-guaranteed. It is available for small savers as the minimum is just P500.00 per remittance.
The GSIS has also been an efficient service provider. Pensions are released on time, and even prior to designated date when it falls on weekends or holidays. For seniors, there is an annual pensioner’s information revalidation (APIR) and the agency provides several options like through the GSIS Kiosk (also available in malls), video call appointment, and even facial authentication via “GSIS Touch”. The APIR via the kiosk simply requires one’s thumbprint through its biometric facility. The facial recognition process through cellphone is a major enhancement.
SSS Pensioners are also happy with the very regular release of their benefits through the nominated bank account. Although pensions are quite modest, at least the agency delivers on its commitments on time. It also reported a recognition from the Civil Service Commission for achieving a 100% complaints resolution rate among government agencies in 2022.
There are more improvements we need to see in the overall effectiveness of government especially in comparison with other countries. Still there are enough reasons to celebrate the level of improvement by many frontline agencies. Government bashing sometimes gets to be a nasty habit. But when services improve, the attitudes are it is expected. True, but a little encouragement and kind words for job well done should be given.
There are good civil servants and there are bad ones. My friends in government say that civil service is a thankless job. While we continue to condemn the corrupt and inept ones, let us be generous with our thanks to those who do their jobs well. And hopefully we can attract more bright and capable minds, especially with integrity, to beef up the civil service corps.
*** (Benel Dela Paz Lagua was previously EVP and Chief Development Officer at the Development Bank of the Philippines. He is an active FINEX member and an advocate of risk-based lending for SMEs. Today, he is independent director in progressive banks and in some NGOs. The views expressed herein are his own and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX.)