IMPULSES ....
a spotty track record. But the company's owner is the mayor's brother-in-law. The dots connect themselves. A young policewoman is due for recognition because of her outstanding service. However, the accolade and the ensuing promotion go to another whose father is a retired high-ranking officer. The weight of nepotism pins down the badge of merit.
To manipulate public opinion and mislead the public, a candidate for a government job pays media figures or journalists to produce positive articles or reports about their qualifications. When a public servant takes expensive trips or gifts from lobbyists or corporate interests, hoping to get their human resource interests done, they betray the public's confidence and compromise their integrity.
It is election time, and government jobs are suddenly aplenty. They are handed out like campaign flyers to those who promise their votes. That is bribery masquerading as a political strategy. Across the sea, a coastal town needs a new environmental officer. The role is vital for protecting their marine sanctuary. Yet, the position is filled by the nephew of the local barangay captain, whose idea of conservation is sleeping during duty.
In the health sector, a critical position for public safety is assigned not to the most experienced doctor but to the one who is a university batchmate of the hospital director. A businessman needs a permit to start his venture. He has been told it is a matter of procedure until a 'facilitator' offers a quicker solution–for a price. The shadow economy of "lagay" thrives, unseen but palpable.
The university is looking for a new dean. The most qualified professor is overlooked for someone who cannot distinguish the Dunning–Kruger and Pygmalion effects but can claim the Chancellor owes him a favor. Academic excellence bows down to nepotism. How about a government-funded sports program to be led by the most capable coach? Instead, the job goes to a former benched athlete with no coaching experience but a close friendship with the sports commissioner. The playing field is far from level.
Such practices have led to decreased organizational efficiency, a loss of public trust, and a blockade against fair job opportunities, stifling innovation, efficiency, integrity, and growth. This is not just an inconvenience but an emergency compromising the nation's learning, civil service, health, electoral, political, and economic stability.
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(Doc H fondly describes himself as a 'student of and for life' who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world that is grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views herewith do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.)