This is the history and development of the Philippine Administrative System

1. Chapter 3: The History and
Development of the Philippine
Administrative System
Presented by:
John Real Vernon G. Panolino / MPA Student
Republic of the Philippines
PALAWAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Puerto Princesa City
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Master in Public Administration
PA206 Philippine Administrative System

2. Objectives:
1. Trace the evolution of the Philippine bureaucracy through the different periods
of Philippine history; and
2. Discuss the implications of the historical development of the Philippine
bureaucracy on its institutional capacity to respond to the changing and
increasingly complex demands of national development.
Readings:
1. Corpuz, O.D. Bureaucracy in the Philippines. (U.P. Institute of Public
Administration, 1957). Chapter XI, pp. 235-249
2. Endriga, Jose N. “Stability and Change: The Civil Service in the Philippines,”
Philippine Journal of Public Administration (April, `985), pp. 132-154

3. The PAS during the
Spanish Colonial Period
The private and personal
interests of the members led
them to subvert the declared
colonial administration.

4. Flaws in the colonial bureaucracy
(Endriga)
Spain’s colonial objectives which left much room for the
bureaucrats to exercise discretion on how they would
interpret or implement policies enunciated in Spain.
The philosophy regarding public office of the
Spanish regime.
The dependence of the colonial office in Manila on
Spain.
Its highly centralized organization; and
The negativism of the regime against the Filipinos.

5. Character of the colonial bureaucracy
 Practice of disposing public office through appointment or by purchase.
 Conferring colonial positions only on individuals with approved ancestry, religion and
connections; the use of the Church as a way of checking on the government; constant
transfers of officials after short terms in office, and encouraging bureaucrats to write
to the king about the private lives and official conduct of their colleagues.
 Had a highly centralized character.
 Negativism of Spaniards toward Filipinos that sprung from their view that the Indios
were morally and politically inferior.
The description and assessment of the Spanish colonial bureaucracy only proves that colonial masters can
only share with their colonies what they know, based on their own experience

6. The PAS during the American Colonial Period
American expansion was described to be
one undertaken “in the absence of a constant
purpose” or a specific colonial objective.
There were explicit interests as indicated by
business, church groups, and even military
strategists. Yet there was no consensus on
how the colonial venture was to be
undertaken.

7. Character of colonial bureaucracy
No individual person’s will or influence was dominant.
 The new civil service was to develop independent of clerical intervention.
 In its early years, the civil government inherited civilians and discharged soldiers
who were employed by the previous American military government. When caught
doing petty corruption, they were subjected to prompt disciplinary proceedings and
penalties were imposed on every case.
 Political interference and the spoils system were excluded from the new civil
service.
 Government officials and employees were prohibited from engaging in private
business unless permission was obtained by the governor-general.
 The relationship between the Civil Service bureau, which introduced reforms
in the colonial bureaucracy and other bureaus, particularly the heads of
executive bureaus and offices, was somehow strained.

8.  The relationship between the Civil Service bureau, which introduced reforms in
the colonial bureaucracy and other bureaus, particularly the heads of executive
bureaus and offices, was somehow strained.
One of the first piece of legislation was the Civil
Service Act, which provided for the “establishment and
maintenance of an efficient and honest civil service in all the
executive branches of the Philippine Islands, central,
departmental and provincial and the City of Manila, by
appointments and promotions according to merit and by
competitive examinations where the same as practicable”.
Public office is a public trust.

9. The PAS during the Early Republic
From the American colonial period, we move on
to the experiences of the early republic after the United
States granted the Philippines its independence in 1946.
The country had just gone through the Second World
War which caused severe physical destruction and
economic decline. While these factors would pose
demanding challenges to the public bureaucracy, it was
emergence of the two-party system soon after
independence that would significantly affect the
character and nature of the civil service.

10. Character of bureaucracy existed in 1955
 It was vulnerable to nepotism.
The spoil system in the civil service was another serious defect.
The bureaucracy seemed to have entered a period of “normalcy” in that public charges of
corruption committed by government officials seemed to be part of the regular fare of
newspapers.
Freedom of the press and the availability of other means for organized and peaceful self-
expression and civic action gave to the political system as a whole a much-needed organic
flexibility as these are means for self-criticism and self-correction within the political
system.
Centralized organization and the administration of laws which were based on the civil law
system enforced by the Spanish bureaucracy.
Filipinos were still looking to the American civil service system for new ideas on
innovations and changes that they can adopt to improve or modernize their civil service
system.

11. The bureaucracy served as an instrument of social change and innovations when
it was placed under Filipino control. It was charged with the implementation of
national economic and community development programs, which would
establish its role as the nation’s instrument of controlled and deliberate social
change.
Did not constitute a distinct social class or have class attributes.
It was not an independent power in Filipino politics. Instead, it was highly vulnerable
to attacks from politicians from the executive and legislative branches of government
who meddled with the merit system.
In all these, we see the bureaucracy as being essentially a creation of
its times, shaped by its history and the legacies it inherited from our colonial
era. As it responded to the demands of nation-building after our independence
in 1946, it had to rely on the systems and the principles that it worked with
during the American colonial period. However, the political party system and its
operations adversely affected the enforcement of the merit system

12. The Authoritarian Regime

13. Major structural changes implemented in executive
branch during Martial Law
It decentralized national government functions to the extent necessary for
improved administration by reducing the agencies under the office of the
President and creating 11 uniform administrative regions.
It standardized the organization and common operational activities of departments.
Four staff services were formed in each department for planning, finance and
management, administration and technical services.
It facilitated the preparation and execution of national development plans by
creating the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
It converted the single-headed Civil Service Commission into a three-person
Commission.

14. It decentralized personnel functions to line departments, bureaus and
regional offices.
It created the Career Executive Service as the highest level of government service
When the Marcos government fell, the bureaucracy was described as;
a. Interventionist in that government competed with the
private sector;
b. A bloated bureaucracy;
c. Corrupt and committed to serve only the interest of
one family;
d. Highly centralized; and
e. inefficient

15. The Aquino Regime
De-Marcosify
the
bureaucracy
1. The promotion of private initiative
2. Decentralization
3. Accountability
4. Efficiency of front-line services
5. Cost-effectiveness of operations

16. Characteristic of Aquino’s bureaucracy
Executive control by the bureaucracy is fostered by the authoritarian
culture which is reinforced by the hierarchical nature of the bureaucratic
organization.
The civil service is divided.
The slow economy and the accompanying scarcity of work opportunities
exacerbate the factors listed above.
The struggle of the civil service against executive domination occurs within the
context of an economic and social structure where the political and economic
elite still wields significant influence.
The trappings of executive power also favour the executive in its struggle with
the civil service.
The bureaucracy is further weakened by its inefficiency and its reputation for
being corrupt.

17. The implications of the evolution of the
Philippine bureaucracy on its capacity
Public institutions are determined largely by:
 The goals they are set to achieve;
 The processes which society expect them to utilize;
 The amount of power and resources that they are vested with;
 The level of accountability that they exercise; and
 The outputs and the outcomes they are expected to deliver.

18. How would we characterize the
bureaucracy at this time?
 First, ours as an executive dominated bureaucracy that is
highly centralized.
 While recruitment and appointment to this bureaucracy is expected to be
based on merit, interventions of politicians have prompted doubts about these
claims.
 On the whole, however, there is a career service, entry to which has been
regulated and guarded by the Civil Service Commission.
 There is security of tenure but government service may not be as prestigious
as it was during the American colonial period.
 The bureaucracy has to improve its image in terms of its accountability and
integrity, efficiency, productivity and innovativeness in dealing with complex
social problems.

19. Implication
Society Subject Self
The capacity of the
bureaucracy to respond
to new challenges
efficiently, effectively,
and with full
accountability.
Bureaucracy is a
product of the bigger
system of which it is
part.
History and
development
enlightened me for
what kind of citizen I
should be, a good and
obedient citizen.

20. Dr. Onofre Corpuz
“The bureaucracy will be as big as the
task of society; it will be as complex
and fascinating as the nation itself; it
will be afflicted with the Filipinos’
weaknesses, but it will benefit from
their virtues”.
Thank you for
listening 