WE, MEMBERS and officers of the Sweepstakes Employees Union (SEU), the association of the rank and file of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, are very hopeful of the changes President Duterte promised the Filipino people, especially those geared toward improving governance and public service.
We, therefore, express full support for the President’s fight against corruption, crimes and illegal drugs, as well as for his reforms in the spheres of health, education, peace, social justice and social welfare.
With its current mandate, the PCSO is endowed with a huge, though still untapped, capability to undertake expanded duties and more work in furtherance of the Duterte administration’s programs, specifically in health and social welfare. And we, SEU members, are all willing to share our time, talents and skills to help effect the “change” the President wants to happen.
We, too, would like to see major changes in the PCSO to ensure that the agency remains relevant in the service of those who are most in need.
The PCSO has been serving sick people sorely in need of financial help; it has also enabled resources-scarce health care institutions and local government units to deliver better medical services to more people. To be able to continue extending this kind of assistance and optimize the use of PCSO resources, we agree that major systemic changes have to be made.
But to be effective, the PCSO needs the right people at the right place. However, this has been jeopardized by the implementation of the “Rationalization Plan” which does not respond to the organizational and program needs of the agency. Under this plan, 400 employees have already lost their jobs and there are around 300 others who might also lose their jobs because their appointments were invalidated by the Civil Service Commission. Which only shows that the Rationalization Plan was ill-conceived and inappropriate. This problem needs urgent attention.
Another issue is the smaller lotto revenues. Simply put, there is no system to ensure that collections being forwarded from Small Town Lottery and Peryahan ng Bayan outlets to the PCSO are properly and accurately recorded.
Indeed, the PCSO is beset by many more major problems due to ineffective, inefficient or improper implementation of systems and policies.
The SEU remains vigilant in making these issues known, and it has forwarded its recommendations on the matter to the PCSO’s leadership. Unfortunately, the employees’ collective strength is not enough. We need enlightened leadership that is propoor, intelligent, decisive, incorruptible. Yes, leaders who have the strength of character to stand up to a corrupted system.
Yes, we need a leader who is a “berdugo” but whose weapon is a heart with pure intentions, an innovative and creative mind—and hands, in rolled-up sleeves, willing to do what needs to be done; a berdugo who can inspire us to stay the course of good governance and excellence in public service; a berdugo who can firmly address issues that affect the welfare of the employees, advocates in the battle against corruption and oppression.
We, members of the SEU, share the President’s vision of a clean, responsive and effective public service.
—JOEL F. PASTORES, president, Sweepstakes Employees Union, PCSO