DPWH adopts code, SMS to stop graft & corruption

To curb graft and corruption, the Department of Public Works and Highways reminded all its officials and employees to strictly abide by the recently approved DPWH Code of Conduct for Officials and Employees.

Aside from fighting graft and corruption, DPWH said that the code is also aimed at further improving public service.

The agency formulated the code in support of the government's thrust to stop the practice of graft and corruption among public agencies. This is the first time that the officials and employees of a government agency themselves made their own code of conduct to follow.

The code, which was approved just few weeks ago, is now being implemented in all five bureaus of DPWH, six services, 16 regional offices, 180 district engineering offices and project management offices nationwide.

The DPWH Code of Conduct for Officials and Employees include the core values on public offices, integrity, professionalism, excellence and teamwork, which are now the guiding principles of every DPWH official and employee in the discharge of their duties as government workers.

With this, DPWH is asking all its officials and members to properly observe the code as it is seeing to it that the code is being properly implemented. The agency has also adopted a monitoring device using the Short Messaging System.

By using SMS, DPWH is hoping to solicit feedback from the public or getting their complaints. In fact, DPWH said that through this system, and after thorough investigation and due process, several of its officials and employees have already been dismissed, suspended or reprimanded, depending on the gravity of their offenses.

Wireless phone subscribers or mobile phone users can send a text message to the DPWH secretary by typing DPWH [space] message and send to 2920. Complainants can also send their queries, concerns and complaints through the DPWH website.

Last month, DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane ordered a workshop among DPWH officials and employees in the hope to "sustain if not improve" the DPWH as No. 8 among 70 government agencies in terms of compliance to the requirements of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission's Integrity Development Action Plan for the first semester of 2006.

DPWH is known as among the most corrupt agencies of the government. In fact, surveys conducted by the Social Weather Stations, always include DPWH in the top five list. In the 1999 and 2000 survey of the SWS, it was tagged as the most corrupt among government agencies. - Wenna A. Berondo