ANGARA CALLS FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE SCHOOL

Senator Edgardo J. Angara urged the Philippine government to establish a school devoted solely for the training of Filipinos in civil service.

In a speech he gave at the Luzon Council of Human Resource Management Practitioners (CHRMP) Convention organized by the Civil Service Commission this week, Angara emphasized the need to educate the country's civil servants to create an efficient and effective system of government.

Angara recommended that the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) be converted to an executive training center for this purpose.

"The times are rapidly changing, with the advent of technology and other innovations," said Angara. "The services provided by the government cannot afford to be left behind. Our way of thinking and doing should evolve with it.

"Continuous learning is of paramount importance, especially for civil servants who are at the frontline of service delivery," emphasized Angara.

The veteran lawmaker cited Singapore as an exemplary model. Counted among the world's best practices in civil service is Singapore's culture of education. The Civil Service College of Singapore, established in 1971, is known for graduating first-rate civil servants both locally and around the world.

The National University of Singapore, Singapore's premier educational institution, also houses the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, which already rivals the likes of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

"There is much that we can learn from Singapore's example," said Angara. "This does not mean, of course, that we should simply transplant their system to our country. It is a model opened for us to scrutinize, evaluate and modify according to our own needs."

Angara underscored the need for proactive citizen involvement in the act of governance. "We must build our own system, and this is precisely why it is urgent for us to educate more people. Governance must grow organically in order for it to be suited to the Philippine culture and context."

Angara is the author of landmark reform laws such as the Procurement Reform Act which standardizes and promote transparency in government procurement.