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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Background of the Study

It has always been a mystery as to why a lot of people are interested

in joining politics, be it in a national or local positions, despite the fact that

compared to other occupations, joining politics is costly, dangerous and

complicated. Yet, numerous people still want to engage and be involved with

such nature of work. Thus, knowing what motivates these people is the key to

this study.

The public service sector is a critical pillar of international development.

Delivery of key public services such as healthcare, sanitation, electricity and

water supply can be hampered by an unmotivated workforce, undermining

public welfare.

Moreover, in many countries, public services are being given fewer

resources while facing increasingly complex problems to solve. The term

‘public service’ has been variously defined as: (1) government employed

people who work in the public administration; (2) a government-funded

service; and (3) the motivation of people to contribute to the common good of

society (2014 UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence).

Most people initially get involved in politics not out of any desires to

blog duck islands or pay-per-view adult movies at taxpayer expense, but

because they have a vision of a good society, and are genuinely idealistic

enough to want to bring out the vision into reality (Osler, 2009).
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All divisions below the regional level are called "local government units

(LGUs)." According to the Constitution, the LGUs "shall enjoy local

autonomy", and in which the president exercises "general supervision".

Congress enacted the Local Government Code of 1991 "which shall provide

for a more responsive and accountable local government structure instituted

through a system of decentralization with effective mechanisms of recall,

initiative, and referendum, allocate among the different local government units

their powers, responsibilities, and resources, and provide for the

qualifications, election, appointment and removal, term, salaries, powers and

functions and duties of local officials, and all other matters relating to the

organization and operation of local units (Local Government Code of 1991).

And Barangay is considered as the smallest and basic unit of the entire LGU.

This is the main reason as to why the researcher focused the study on the

Barangay Level since what happens in barangay might also be the picture of

what is happening in the higher levels of government.

Research Questions

The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting public service of

barangay officials in Brgy. Tres De Mayo, Digos City. Thus, this seeks to

answer the following questions:

1. What does it mean to be a public servant?

2. What are the factors that affect your desire to be a public servant?
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Significance of the Study

Delivering public service to the people is definitely one of the most

basic challenges to any public officials and doing these services is the effect

of many reasons or factors. Thus, the purpose of this study is to know the

factors that affect the delivery of public service of Brgy. Officials in Brgy. Tres

De Mayo, Digos City. These factors are given importance since this study

tries to seek on the reasons why the barangay officials are doing their job as

public servants. As an effect, this study can help the following individuals:

Residents of Brgy. Tres De Mayo. The result of this study will inform

the people on the motives of their barangay officials in being the public

servants and will serve as their basis in choosing their next Brgy. Officials.

Brgy. Officials. This study will help them revisit their motives in being

a public servant. This will definitely help them realize their reason of running

for such position.

Students of Political Science. This can be a source of information in

determining the factors that affect public service of any public official in the

government.
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Theoretical Lens

Public service motivation (PSM) is a prominent concept within current

Public Administration, as it refers to the drive for public interest and altruistic

behaviour. Although substantial empirical research on its nature and its

impact is available, little is known on the origins of PSM. Led by cues provided

by previous empirical research, this article seeks to develop a general theory

of PSM, encompassing both causes and consequences of PSM. Based on an

interdisciplinary approach, elements of institutional theory and motivational

psychology are fused together, blending into an operational theory of PSM

(Vandenabeele, 2007).

Haenisch (2012) stressed that early researchers and writers

discovered that a limited number of factors had the most impact on the

productivity of workers. Taylor (1998) found that four key principles could be

applied to dramatically improve workplace productivity. Taylor’s principles

advised managers to systematically design each job, scientifically select and

train the workers, cooperate closely with the workers and divide the work and

responsibility equally between the worker and management.

Research Locale

Tres De Mayo is one of the barangays under the Component City of

Digos.

The Component City of Digos has a population of about 145,514 and its

26 barangays belong to the partly urban areas in the Philippines. While some

of the barangays developed modern urban structures, some others, especially

those which are seated in the outlying areas, remained rural. By the end of

2007 Tres De Mayo had 14,590 residents.

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Coordinates:   6°45'48"N   125°20'0"E

Definition of Terms

The terms used in this study are defined conceptually and

operationally.

Attraction. It is the action or power of evoking interest, pleasure, or

liking for someone or something.

Policy-making. This is the act of creating laws or setting standards for

a government or business. An example of policymaking is when the legislative

body draft and pass a new crime bill.

Public interest. A common concern among citizens in the

management and affairs of local, state, and national government. It does

not mean mere curiosity but is a broad term that refers to the body politic and

the public weal.

Compassion. Sympathetic and concern for the sufferings or

misfortunes of others
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Public Servant. A government official

Commitment. An engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of

action

Connections. A relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked

or associated with something else

Fame. The condition of being known or talked about by many people,

especially on account of notable achievements.

Scope and limitations

This study sought to determine the factors that served as reasons as to

why the barangay officials of Brgy. Tres De Mayo entered public service. In

addition, the respondents of this study were the seven (7) Barangay

Councilors and the Barangay Chairman of the said barangay. Thus, part of

the limitations of this study is the fact that this is only exclusive to the Brgy.

Officials of the said barangay and the factors used are only limited to public

policy making, commitment to public interest, compassion to help & serve the

people, opportunity to have political power and connections and fame. The

researcher acknowledges the fact that there can still be a lot of factors that

can be used in this study but due to certain considerations, the mentioned

factors are the only ones used, and is considered parts of the limitations.
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CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The review of related literature for this study focused on leadership

qualities, strategies and techniques, and also included the history of Local

Government of the Philippines background studies of Davao Del Sur and

Digos City. This information had helped the researcher to identify and define

the research problem, justify the need for studying the problem and prevent

unnecessary duplication of study.

Public Service

A public service is a service which is provided by government to people

living within its jurisdiction, either directly (through the public sector) or by

financing provision of services

In 1963, Samuel J. Heyman (1939–2009) was fresh out of Harvard Law

School. Inspired by President John F. Kennedy’s call to serve, Heyman joined

the U.S. Department of Justice and served as an assistant U.S. Attorney for

the District of Connecticut. Upon his father’s death in 1968, Heyman left

government to assume responsibility for his family’s business, but his

experiences in government fueled his belief that public service was not only

honorable, but vitally important to the nation and deserving of America’s best

talent. “The future of our nation quite simply depends on the quality of our

government,” Heyman said.

As the new millennium dawned, Heyman realized that our government

would lose an entire generation to retirement: those, like him, who had

answered President Kennedy’s appeal. He believed that the challenges facing

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the country were the most profound in decades and that replacing a

generation of public servants with the very best talent must be a national

imperative. He was enthusiastic about the possibilities, noting “my optimism

about what can be accomplished is underpinned by the fact that young

Americans today are so extraordinarily idealistic. They are the most active

citizens in recent history. They’re volunteering for community service at record

levels and they are the most likely of all age groups to believe that one person

can make a difference by helping others.”

So in 2001, Heyman founded the Partnership for Public Service to

revitalize the federal civil service. Since that time the Partnership has worked

to restore pride in government service and to attract the country’s most

talented, intelligent and committed workers to serve the American people.

We believe that good organizations start with good people. We strive for

excellence, as one team, in pursuit of our mission. Our values guide how we

achieve success for the Partnership and our partners:

A. Passion for public service and our work toward a more effective

government

B. People who promote a culture of learning, leadership, collaboration,

inclusion and respect

C. Persistence to drive change, take strategic risks and deliver results

D. Promise to be trustworthy, nonpartisan and fiscally responsible

Attraction to Public Policy

Smith (2015) asked is public service motivation more a product of

nature or nurture? The literature on the origins of public service motivation is

currently characterized by environmental determinism. This study examines

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the contribution of genetic factors to individual differences in one type of

motive for participating in public service - attraction to public policymaking –

using a classical twin design and information on 782 sets of young-adult

twins. In the particular sample examined, approximately 29 percent of the

phenotypic variance in attraction to public policymaking can be accounted for

by genetic factors, while the rest can be accounted for by environmental

factors unique to the individual. Furthermore, approximately 36 percent of the

total effect of genes on attraction to public policymaking is mediated by trait

dominance. The results show that (1) both the environment and genetics

contribute to individual differences in attraction to public policymaking and (2)

suggest that genes affect attraction to public policymaking through their

influence on the development of trait dominance.

Commitment to Public Interest

Commitment to public interest simply means serving for the good and the

welfare of the community (Angelriae, 2013).

Public interest law describes the use of law by nonprofit organizations,

law firms, or government agencies to provide legal representation to people,

groups, or interests that are historically underrepresented in the legal system

(Develder, 2012).

How can you show your commitment to public interest? As a student and

a future public servant, I will prioritize the public interests over my own

interests. In the process of serving the Philippine government, I am also

serving for the interest of the Filipino people. I understand the oath that every

public servants pledge with and that includes commitment to the public

interest. A public servant must prioritize the interest of the public. I

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acknowledge that it is only a discretionary power of the government to do

social welfare for the people. But there are several things which can be done

for the people which will indirectly affect them. By simply cutting the costs of

the government offices that were paid by the taxes of the people, it could help

them as it will improve their economic status or lessen their burden of

the taxes (Chioco, 2013).

Compassion

Compassion literally means “to suffer together.” Among emotion

researchers, it is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted

with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering.

Compassion is not the same as empathy or altruism, though the

concepts are related. While empathy refers more generally to our ability to

take the perspective of and feel the emotions of another person, compassion

is when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to help. Altruism, in

turn, is the kind, selfless behavior often prompted by feelings of compassion,

though one can feel compassion without acting on it, and altruism isn’t always

motivated by compassion.

While cynics may dismiss compassion as touchy-feely or irrational,

scientists have started to map the biological basis of compassion, suggesting

its deep evolutionary purpose. This research has shown that when we feel

compassion, our heart rate slows down, we secrete the “bonding hormone”

oxytocin, and regions of the brain linked to empathy, caregiving, and feelings

of pleasure light up, which often results in our wanting to approach and care

for other people (greatergood.berkeley).

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Political Power and Influence

Power in the Workplace

The 2008 book "Organizational Behavior" by Steven McShane and

Mary Von Glinow describes power as the ability of a person, or group of

people, to influence others. The person or group does not have to actually use

this ability, and does not even have to be aware of this ability. If an individual

is perceived by others to have influence, he holds power. A person holds

power in a small business when he has the ability to control the distribution of

rewards that are valued by others, such as money, promotions or vacation

time.

Along these same lines, when a person has the ability to apply

punishments, she holds power as well. Managers are not the only people with

this ability in a small business. People who have knowledge or expertise that

others value also hold power, such as a top performer who generates a large

amount of business for the company. Peer pressure is also a form of power.

Power in a small business is present upward, downward and horizontally.

Types of Influences

Influence is any behavior a person or group conducts efforts to alter

another person or group's attitudes or behaviors. Various types of influences

are present within a small business. A silent authority is a person or group,

such as an owner or upper management that influences others with his mere

presence.

This silent authority does not have to overtly demand influence; it is

known and given. Assertiveness is a type of influence where an employee or

manager uses vocal confrontation, reminders or threats in efforts to change

the attitudes or behaviors among the other employees.

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Persuasion is another type of influence where an employee or

manager uses logic and facts to influence others. Some managers also use

exchange to influence employees; that is, promising a reward in exchange for

a desired attitude or behavior. Some employees use upward appeal, which

involves appealing to the owner or the business's goals in efforts to change

the owner's views or behaviors. Other employees form coalitions, such as

strikes, to influence management decisions. Employees also try to impress

management in efforts to influence promotional decisions, as reported in

"Organizational Behavior."

Workplace Politics

People have a desire to get to the top of any company. They desire to

do so not only because of money, but because of the desire to achieve power.

Office politics often have a negative connotation because of the negative

influential behaviors associated with a person trying to achieve goals of

getting to the top. There's a thin line between persuasion and manipulation,

and the negative connotation exists because of the few bad eggs that use

unethical tactics in their pursuits. In a February 2010 "Bloomberg

BusinessWeek" article, Beth Weissenberger asserts that everyone engages in

office politics. Even if you are an employee who keeps to your small group of

co-workers and tries not to be noticed, you are attempting to remain in your

position, and you therefore have an agenda.

Connections and fame

The word fame refers to reputation and renown. It is quite a subjective

idea, but to say that somebody is famous implies that they are known by
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many people. It can also mean that the famous person is known by many

people who they have never even met. Fame is closely related

to celebrity which can be defined as being celebrated, and this usually applies

to people who are well known because they receive attention from the media.

It is common to associate with fame with wealth, but these two don’t always

go together. There is also the possibility that the attributes that helped the

individual achieve their fame may also make them more prone to addictive

behavior (alcoholrehab).

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

This chapter described the operational plan of work or strategy. A

number of activities in the plan of works include the following operations: a)

research design; b) research instruments; and c) research participant.

Research Design

A phenomenological research study is a study that attempts to

understand people's perceptions, perspectives and understandings of a

particular situation (or phenomenon). The researcher’s general procedure of

describing had the chief purpose of description of the officials on what

motivated them or what drove them to enter into political arena. Learning the

purpose of their engagement in political matters could help future officials of

the barangay to act as a role model in the community. For some of them were
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allegedly labeled falsely to participate in exchange for wealth, but as the study

kept going, it emphasized that wealth is not seen in a barangay official’s way

of life.

Date Gathering Procedure

The following steps were employed in the study;

1. Seeking consent. Consent to conduct the study was sought to Dr.

Tessie G. Miralles, Prof. Garnette Mae V. Balacy, Prof. Melchizedek

John Bañas and Dr. Ryan Dale Elnar for being the persons of authority

pertaining to my study.

2. Seeking permission to conduct interviews. Permission to conduct

an interview was addressed to the Barangay Captain - Hon. Osrac H.

Bucol, Jr. through written and formal approach.

3. Selection of respondents. After having the permission to conduct

interviews, the researcher visited Brgy. Tres De Mayo Barangay Hall.

The respondents were the 8 Brgy. Officials. Individual interviews were

conducted inside their office.

Research Participants

Brgy. Officials of Brgy. Tres De Mayo

1. Oscar H. Bucol Jr. – Barangay Captain

2. Reynaldo F. Nuesca – Brgy. Councilor

3. Victor C. Alforque – Brgy. Councilor

4. Porciano S. Taypin Jr. – Brgy. Councilor

5. Roy C. Cervantes – Brgy. Councilor

6. Marlon L. Castillo – Brgy. Councilor

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7. Joseph Jay P. Engineo – Brgy. Councilor

8. Ramon S. Rabusa – Brgy. Councilor

Research Instrument

Questionnaire is the major instrument used in this study to secure

response to certain questions. It was designed to obtain information on the

factors affecting Brgy. Officials towards public service. Open-minded

questions were used to give the respondents the opportunity to give their

responses and suggestions. The questionnaire was prepared by the

researcher and developed by reading reference materials and related studies

about the effects of different factors affecting Brgy. Officials towards public

service.
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CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter presents the results of the gathered data, and the

discussions that were formulated from the data collected.

Commitment to Public Interest

Being a leader does not constitute a manifestation that people will

become your servant, but rather you will serve as a servant for the people,

and that is the primordial role of a public servant - to serve and protect the

welfare of the constituents.

Compassion

Basing on the consolidated responses of the government officials

during the actual interview, all of them said that being a public servant is

primarily being an agent of the state in the pursuit of promoting the general

welfare and maintaining social order. Thereby, they highlighted that all the

times they were always there in times that people in the community needed

their help such as settling conflicts which ended up with an amicable

settlement instead of bringing it before the courts of justice. That is the

purpose as to why a barangay and its officials have been established by the

law of the land with its implementing law which is the Local Government Code

(LGC).

These are the factors affecting the desire of the Brgy. Officials in Tres

De Mayo according to the data gathered from the interview: Firstly, they said

that “compassion to help others” is naturally their motivation why they

desire to be a public servant. Since then, they really wanted to help those

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people who need assistance to maintain peace and security within the

community.

Secondly, the commitment to public interest, they have seen that

they will be able to forward their legislative agenda for the interest of the

public if they will be able to occupy a seat in the barangay, since that is also

the main function of Brgy. Officials as a law making body. In fact they said that

they have already passed and implemented laws concerning health,

environment and infrastructure. This is also in consonance to the third factor

which is “Attraction to public policy making”. The third factor is the political

power and influence. There were three Brgy. Officials who said that according

to them power and influence was important for them and fame was not the

reason why they wanted to serve. So long as you will allow yourself to be a

good example to the public not to engage in any illegal transactions, they are

going to show that they respect and follow you as a leader. On the other

hand, the other two had said that power and influence are important in

leading, but in terms of power they have to rely on the person superior to

them which is the Brgy. Captain who possesses the high authority. In terms of

influence, it is also important for them to function effectively in the discharge

of their duty.

Attraction to Public Policy Making

Regardless of their different views, they have commonality in creating

and implementing policies that could help their constituents. Furthermore,

they stressed out the mandate of Local Government Code that they are

mandated to serve and entertain their constituents twenty-four hours a day

and seven days a week to any concerns within the community.

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Connections and Fame

Lastly, with regard to the connection and fame, three of the

respondents said “no”, it is not the reason why they wanted to be a public

servant, hence, for them it is not necessary, the other two respondents also

said that, it is not the reason why they seek a seat in the government,

however according to them, reality dictates that for a politician to win in the

election “connection and fame” is highly needed and hence very essential.

Based on the actual interviews that were conducted, all of them had

stressed out that their intent to run does not matter even in the absence of

power and fame, because what is more important according to them is being

able to contribute and provide adequate assistance to the community.

CHAPTER 5

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS

This chapter shows the dialogue of the gathered data, implication for

future studies to be conducted; based on the themes that were provided in

this study.

Summary

The researcher conducted this study to be able to know what drives the

barangay officials to engage in political arena and their intentions to deliver

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services to their constituents. And in doing so, 8 respondents were selected,

unfortunately, there were only five (5) officials interviewed.

Barangay officials were asked certain questions regarding their

performance in delivering public service. As a result, these were their several

common answers:

The purposes of their desire to serve the public were the following;

1. To provide quality service and contribute adequate assistance to the

people, especially those who are in need;

2. To help and serve even if it dedicates almost all their time for the

betterment of the community;

3. To create good deeds for the community and at the same time, to

develop the community;

The Factors that Affect Several Barangay Officials were the following, to

wit:

Attraction to public policy. In which they are concern on the state of

their community;

Compassion to help. In which they subjected themselves just to serve

and protect their fellow constituents;

Commitment to public interest. In which they dedicated themselves

to serve almost all their time.

The Factors that do not Affect the Several Barangay Officials are the

following, to wit:

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Fame and connections. For them it is not necessary to be famous, if

you have the willingness then you have the courage to serve the public.

Power and influence. According to them, power may be in their

hands, but it does not mean that the power bestowed to them is for incorrect

doings. But it is really for the development of the barangay.

Implications for Practice

The following implications for practice were concluded from the results of

the study.

It is the primary duty of the government to protect and serve its citizens

as mandated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Declaration of the

Philippines and State Policies.

Those who seek to occupy a seat in the government like the politicians

must make new solutions in solving the problems of its constituents for the

betterment of the community. Changing the bad views or presumptions of the

people about those who are seeking a seat in the government will lead to lack

of cooperation to the government.

Implications for Further Research

This study may only be limited to the barangay officials of Tres De

Mayo, Digos City. Certain implications for future research are accurate.

In order to gather adequate data towards your respondents, it would be

most likely valuable to just interview them in actual.

As stated in the Philippine constitution 1987 under article 3 section 7 says

that “the right of the people to information shall be recognized on matter to

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public concern” thus, the respondents are obliged under the law to provide

answers in the researcher’s interview towards public service.

Concluding Remarks

What causes a good development of a single community are the

collaboration and the participation of government officials. To promote

common good, a person must be willing to serve the many.

We all know that the barangay is the smallest local government unit.

But on the other hand, barangay officials are also one of the most important

government officials in every corner, for they are the front lines of the

government. They are always on duty for about twenty four hours a day and

seven days a week.

The main purpose of duty of the barangay officials is to serve the public

and settle disputes among barangay district.

They act as a role model to the community of the barangay, they are

subjected only to serve and create policies that are only concern to their

respective barangays.

And as for the development of the community, they also solicit from

their constituents, with collaboration, they can attain development. But as you

can see, the people in Tres Mayo are well aware of the dynamic

performances of the barangay officials.

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