EDITORIAL - The bottom line is public service

Until yesterday there was confusion over Administrative Order No. 32, the presidential directive allowing government employees to work just four days a week during the summer months. Government personnel weren’t sure which agencies were not covered by the order and therefore had to continue rendering public service five days a week. It’s obvious that cops, firefighters and public health personnel are not covered by AO 32. But what about employees of agencies such as the Land Transportation Office? Will government prosecutors on a four-day work week compound the backlog in court cases? Mayors wanted to know if personnel of national agencies attached to local governments would be included.

Malacañang and labor department officials said there were no serious problems in the implementation of the order. But the confusion is undeniable. The scheme, which allows government personnel to cut their work week as long as they put in 40 hours of work each week, should have been fine-tuned before it was implemented. It’s supposed to encourage domestic tourism and allow government workers to spend more time with their families during the summer break – a continuation of the "holiday economics" started by President Arroyo last Christmas.

Whether or not holiday economics will work, the only concern of the public is uninterrupted government service. This bureaucracy is already notorious for being one of the most inefficient in the region. There are so-called "15-30" government workers who go to their offices only on the 15th and 30th of each month to collect their pay. Such workers, along with the corrupt, lazy and inept, won’t be missed even if they go on permanent holiday.

One can’t help wondering, however, if working on holiday mode won’t further erode the quality of public service. Holiday economics may be good for domestic tourism, but will it be good for a bureaucracy that is already regarded as inefficient? Will longer working hours translate into better government service? A bureaucracy that runs smoothly is crucial in many aspects of national life. When Malacañang reviews the results of this experiment, there should be one paramount consideration: the quality of public service.