Ang Lingkod Bayani ni Juan: Gender Responsive, Accessible, Courteous, Effective

The Constitution provides that public office is a public trust. This goes to say that a government employee shall hold his position so long as he maintains the trust and confidence of the people. This trust cannot be gauged by the absence of administrative complaints or length of service but by the quality of service being rendered and the effect it bears to society. Hence, the question should be asked: what is the kind of public service that merits the trust and confidence of those who are served? The answer can be pinned down in four adjectives- gender responsive, accessible, courteous, and effective public service. But what characterize gender responsive, accessible, courteous and effective public service?

Gender Responsive We live now in an era when discrimination is no longer condoned by our laws. However, the equality clause of our Constitution has not completely cured the bias some people hold that considers the weaker sex not on equal footing with males. It is unfortunate to translate this view in the performance of our duties which has been the case to some employees. Hence, it is suggested that being lingkod bayani, we should be sensitive to the needs and respectful of the identities of the people. This sensitivity has been laudably exemplified in a police station which has a womens desk for women who hesitate to approach a male-dominated environment of police stations. But there is a pressing concern as to the treatment of LGBTs when they try to avail of the services of the government. True enough that social stigma has started to wear off, but the wearing off process is not yet over and members of the third sex still suffer from ridicule and slow action taken upon their complaints or

requests. Since the law does not distinguish as to whose favour public services should be rendered, so employees should not distinguish too. A gender responsive public service is characterized by respect for the dignity of individuals.

Accessible The problem on the accessibility of public service is not solved by putting up as many offices as should be wished in any political territories. In other words, an accessible public service is not just availability of public services. It means prompt response or resolution of problems that arise. It is noticed that there are issues that remain unresolved for ages now. These issues are results of the problem relating to the accessibility of public service which actually refers to the lack of commitment of some government employees. Commitment is simply what drives employees to perform their jobs promptly. Hence, drug lords, pushers, and users cannot be put in jail by simply deploying thousands of policemen in every corner of our country because the solution is having policemen committed to eliminate drug addiction. The same is true with the problem about having poor quality of education which cannot be solved by hiring thousands of teachers. What resolves this issue is the employment of highly qualified and equipped teachers enthusiastic enough to educate the Filipino studentry. The objectives of our government cannot be achieved when the people being mandated to do so do not share the same goals.

Courteous A courteous public service is way beyond greeting people with a big smile when they come to offices to avail of government services. This simply means respecting the rights of the people. This respect, when deeply ingrained, fuels the

commitment to perform public duty. This respect is manifested by a public attorney who does not perfunctorily perform his duty of representing his client under custodial investigation, or by a teacher who does not spend the entire hour scolding students when not prepared for the days lesson, or by a soldier who does not pretend to contract illness when required to counter the bullets of enemies. A courteous public servant is characterized by awareness that to ones duty much depends and many are at stakes and that an omission or fault will prejudice the public.

Effective The measure of an effective public service lies on the achievements of objectives without disregard to the rights of people in the course of the performance of duties. In other words, an effective public service is one that delivers good results, that is, upholds rights and protects the welfare and interests of the public at large. It means a policeman being able to secure peace in a community, a public school teacher being able to transmit the ability to read and write, a prosecutor able to see that justice is done, or a local government council passing ordinances that are responsive to the pressing issues of the locality. An effective public service is one that redounds to the benefit of the public.

A lingkod bayani is not just an employee employed by government for the purpose of giving him means to obtain food to put on ones table. Being employed in the government connotes having means to exercise ones profession, to commit to the genuine cause of the State, and to share in the responsibility of securing development for all Filipinos. Until every lingkod bayani treats his work this way, the issues of corruption, lack of sense of commitment, snail-paced resolution of crises

and the like will continue to haunt the government, and the problems they breed will remain unresolved.