CIVIL Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Marilyn Barua-Yap on Monday exhorted officials and personnel of the House of Representatives (HRep) to shun apathy, describing it as the biggest enemy of public service.
“In public service, sa kalipunan na mahigit na dalawang milyon na ngayon na civil servants, at sa mga opisyal at kawani holding elective positions in the national and local governments, apathy is also the biggest enemy, not corruption, not lack of confidence or absence of resources,” said Yap, who was the HRep Secretary General during the 14th and 15th Congresses.
Speaking during the HRep flag raising ceremony for July, Yap said corruption happens because people do not care enough to expose or fight it. Similarly, she said incompetence or mediocrity in its many evolving form, is also tolerated.
She said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also rejected apathy, calling it the “biggest enemy of freedom” during his Independence Day speech.
To fight apathy, she urged HRep workforce to think of themselves as not just employees of an organization. “Isipin natin na hindi lang tayo kawani. Tayo ay lingkod bayan. At kailangan sa ating lahat, nauuna ang bayan bago ang sarili,” she said.
According to Yap, it is important to continually improve the quality and relevance of institutional human resources. At the same time, policy frameworks and program initiatives and processes integral to implementation must undergo continuous improvement.
“Sana pagsikapan natin ang continuous improvement. Push tayo sa mga reforms and innovations to be more competent and commit excellence (as) more than an aspiration. It should be a habit, a mindset, the way of life for all of us in public service, higit sa lahat nga dito sa House of Representatives,” Yap added.
She reminded HRep secretariat officials and employees of their role in society. “History is made here. The quality of our people’s lives is decided here. The fate of our nation is shaped here. Every day in plenary and conference halls, in discussions and debates, the Secretariat is an indispensable participant to this unremitting duty of continually building and re-building our nation,” she said.
“Sana unawain at yakapin natin ang katotohanan na hindi man tayo mga mambabatas kabahagi tayo ng bawat batas kabahagi tayo ng pagbuo ng pambansang tadhana at kasaysayan,” Yap said.
The Engineering and Physical Facilities Department headed by Deputy Secretary General Renato dela Torre hosted the event.
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