Situationers

Initiatives of the Philippine Government against Corruption

Public policy of the Government of the Philippines (GOP) has long made poverty reduction 
with sustained economic growth as a major development strategy. This strategy is 
contained in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP), which underscores 
control of corruption as imperative for its realization.  
The GOP acknowledges that corruption is seriously hurting its economy and damaging the 
social fabric. Consequently, the GOP calls for a collective front in the fight against 
corruption and has, in fact, adopted both administrative and legislative initiatives to 
address it. These initiatives have been designed against the backdrop of good governance 
and its principles, namely: accountability, transparency, participation and rule of law 
(predictability).  
The GOP has adopted a multi-sectoral and holistic approach in the control of corruption 
along the areas of prosecution, prevention, participation and promotion (education).  
Under the auspices of the Office of the Ombudsman, the National Anti-Corruption Program 
of Action (NACPA) was crafted to serve as  the umbrella program for all anti-corruption 
initiatives undertaken by government and non-government organizations to ensure 
convergence of efforts. NACPA used the frameworks of the United Nations Convention 
against Corruption, Millennium Development Goals and the MTPDP.  
This initiative also paved the way for the formation of the Multi-Sectoral Anti-Corruption 
Council (MSACC), a consultative and coordinating body organized to reinforce the anti-
corruption commitments of government, civil society, and the business sector.  
The GOP continues to undertake significant initiatives to address corruption, although it 
notes that the perception of corruption in the government persists. Such perception is 
evidence of a vibrant democracy where people are free to express their concerns and 
grievances against the government in whatever fora.   
The Philippines, however, pays serious attention to the unfavorable perception and 
remains resolute in its efforts against corruption. The efforts and initiatives of the GOP 
cover seven broad areas, which are a clustering of all the 26 factors identified by the MCC 
in evaluating countries on the Control of Corruption (COC) indicator. These seven areas 
are:  

Public policy of the Government of the Philippines (GOP) has long made poverty reduction with sustained economic growth as a major development strategy. This strategy is contained in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP), which underscores control of corruption as imperative for its realization.  

The GOP acknowledges that corruption is seriously hurting its economy and damaging the social fabric. Consequently, the GOP calls for a collective front in the fight against corruption and has, in fact, adopted both administrative and legislative initiatives to address it. These initiatives have been designed against the backdrop of good governance and its principles, namely: accountability, transparency, participation and rule of law (predictability).  

The GOP has adopted a multi-sectoral and holistic approach in the control of corruption along the areas of prosecution, prevention, participation and promotion (education).  

Under the auspices of the Office of the Ombudsman, the National Anti-Corruption Program of Action (NACPA) was crafted to serve as  the umbrella program for all anti-corruption initiatives undertaken by government and non-government organizations to ensure convergence of efforts. NACPA used the frameworks of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, Millennium Development Goals and the MTPDP.  

This initiative also paved the way for the formation of the Multi-Sectoral Anti-Corruption Council (MSACC), a consultative and coordinating body organized to reinforce the anti-corruption commitments of government, civil society, and the business sector.  

The GOP continues to undertake significant initiatives to address corruption, although it notes that the perception of corruption in the government persists. Such perception is evidence of a vibrant democracy where people are free to express their concerns and grievances against the government in whatever fora.   

The Philippines, however, pays serious attention to the unfavorable perception and remains resolute in its efforts against corruption. The efforts and initiatives of the GOP cover seven broad areas, which are a clustering of all the 26 factors identified by the MCC in evaluating countries on the Control of Corruption (COC) indicator. These seven areas are:

  1. Reforming the Procurement process 
  2. Reducing Red Tape  
  3. Ensuring a Performing Bureaucracy 
  4. Controlling Corruption in Revenue-Collecting Agencies   
  5. Improving Systems to Control Corruption 
  6. Enforcing Anti-Graft Policies: Efforts of Anti-graft Bodies  
  7. Enhancing Judicial Capability