A lecture on conduct and ethical standards for civil servants was included in the training module on the Systematic Adjudication (SA) approach in public land titling in capacitating land inspectors and adjudicators.

“We do not only want to develop experts in terms of land adjudication but we also want to build trustworthy, reliable and responsible public officials and employees who will be involved in land titling services especially in discerning crucial land-related transactions.”

This was according to Land Management Bureau (LMB) OIC Director Ralph C. Pablo during the capacity building roll out on the SA with new partners from the local government held in Dagupan City last March 25-27.

Twenty four municipalities with newly-entered Memorandum of Partnership Agreement (MOPA) with DENR, PENROs and CENROs in four provinces in Region 1, namely; Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan, participated in the capacity building – the first batch to be conducted this year.

“Discussions on ethics, transparency and accountability among public servants are very timely and a must especially that a number of public officials are being involved in covert practices and transactions in various services with the public,” Pablo said.

“It is about time that we should inform, educate and instill behavioral ethics among public officials coupled with their expertise in the conduct of land-related services,” he added.

This was echoed by Atty. Ariel Villanueva, director of the Legal Affairs Office of the Civil Service Commission saying that “Public office is a public trust.” We are all accountable to the people at all times, quoting Section 1, Article 11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which according to him became the basis of Republic Act (R.A.) 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

He further explained that public officials and employees must be accountable to the people and serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity and loyalty.

In addition, DENR Assistant Secretary for Internal Audit and Anti-Corruption Daniel Darius M. Nicer infused values reorientation during his discussion on the reengineering, renewal and modernization in the land sector.

To describe old values that Filipinos live by through the time, Atty. Nicer encouraged the participants to narrate Filipino “salawikain” or proverbs that generation to generation used to provide guidance in everyday living.

However, the famous Filipino proverb “Daigngmaagapangmasipag”, in our time, according to Nicer have already a negative connotation” rationalizing to mean that, “It’s alright not to be industrious for as long as you are cunning (switik), you will outdo or defeat the others.”

“This kind of thought encourages corruption.”“And since you want to be ahead of the others, this poses crab mentality, sabotaging or ruining the reputation of others,” Nicer added.

Nicer concluded that the most proper description should be “Walang Dadaig sa Masipag at Maagap.” (lmm)