'Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap'

Ever since the scandals revealed by President BBM regarding the billions of pesos wasted on flood control projects, the issue of graft and corruption in the Philippines has finally captured the attention of lawmakers, civil society, and the media.

- ELFREN S. CRUZ

I received the following message from the former Public Works secretary Rogelio "Babes" Singson: "Elfren, for your information, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), after hearing Mayor Magalong speak on corruption and what the private sector can do, the MAP has taken the challenge and formed a committee to focus on good governance and anti-corruption. I have been asked to chair the committee because we can no longer keep quiet. We have to speak up and confront the problem of corruption head on. Many of the MAP members have signed up to join the committee. We hope to come up with specific targets and focus on very obvious corrupt practices in all branches of government."

In the Philippines, graft and corruption have become deeply embedded in the highest level of governance and everyday bureaucratic operations, affecting development, social equity, and public trust.

Corruption in the Philippines can actually be traced back to the Spanish colonial period when favoritism and bribery were rampant among colonial administrators. The encomienda system enabled powerful elites to acquire vast landed estates and to exploit local labor and resources in exchange for loyalty to the Spanish administrators.

Even during the American period, modernization brought new opportunities for political and financial manipulation.

After the granting of Philippine independence, corruption worsened with the emergence of political dynasties and patronage politics. During the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos from 1965 to 1986 came the birth of systemic corruption.