THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PUBLIC
Response of the discipline of Philippine
ADMINISTARTION IN THE PHILIPPINES: CONCERNS
FOR AN IDENTITY CRISIS
 To sum it all up…
Identity crisis has been manifested in 4 areas:
1. Inordinate influence of mostly American P.A
theories and concepts (is there a Philippine
public administration)
2. Perceived disconnect between the theories
taught in schools and the realities in the
outside world – (what is the relevance of
the discipline to real world challenges?)
3. Frustration over the perception – in spite of
P.A and governance reforms, Philippines
continues to be more corrupt nations in the
region
4. Fascination of academics in other
disciplines, especially economists, that
‘institutions matter’, has led some P.A
scholars to argue that their discipline has
been arguing precisely the same point since
the 50s
Main points:
 East Asian Countries – more PA programs
and no. of publications and scholarly
activities are increasing very rapidly
 PA Education – western (North America
and Western Europe) have been well
exposed to the world. Not asia
 Recommendation: Asian communities of PA
must examine how PA Education in
individual East Asian countries resembles or
differs from their counterparts in the West
 WHERE CAN BE THE IDENTITY CRISIS OF
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN THE
PHILIPPINES LOCATED?
1. The influence of global forces upon the
discipline
2. Imperative to recognize the global
dimension of PA
3.
PA to such global forces in the past,
present and future.
 The occurrence of the crisis of identity
of PA in the Philippines is due to the
influence of the American P.A theory. It
has to postulate an indigenous and local
form of Philippine PA.
 Also, the disconnect between theory
and practice, imperative to bridge the
gap by reconciling the both into the ‘
praxis’ of PA. Theory without practice is
living in an ivory tower; but practice
without theory is living without meaning
and ideology.
Solution:
PA must blend between the theory and
practice. ‘ PA has to be grounded’
 Third, due to the perception that the
discipline has had a little impact on the
efforts to bring about responsive PA
structures, processes and behaviour in
the bureaucracy. PA’s role: supplement
civil service programmes and
interventions that would not only help
craft and design appropriate policies,
procedures and structures, but also help
change the mindset and ethos of public
servants.
Example: fight against
corruption(schools-supplement efforts-
civil service-capacity development
courses and training programmes on
ethics and accountability.
 Lastly, the existence of the institutions
and governance. PA has consistently
focused on institutions such as formal
institutions (bureaucracy, legislature
and executive); informal (voluntary
sector); formal processes and
 procedures (elections, consultations,  Philippine Journal of Public Administration –
mechanisms of citizen perception special issue on indigenous governance.
(p.6)

Is there a Philippine Public Administration? Educational Institutions Asserting

1. Influence from western countries – distance
from US – assert its own identity, indigenize
and localize Philippine PA- to show that it is
separate and distinct
2. American origins could not be avoided and
have to be recognized.
3. The discourse of PA Theory is rich and
engaged given the importation, application,
adoption, and adaption of the latests trends
in theory, ranging from development
administration to new PA, new public
management to reinventing government
and reengineering, and of course good
governance and good enough governance.
Indigenous PA and Indigenizing PA
Philippine Public Administration
 Role of schools of public administration in
the Philippines in carving out and laying the
ground work for a Philippine identity.
 National College of Public Administration
and Governance (1952) - pioneered the
discipline of public administration in the
Philippines.enrcihed the content and
methodology and also the theory.
 Enjoyed wide acceptance and support not
only from national but international
agencies. Its services included professional
and policy advice as well as technical
assistance to a wide variet of local, national
and international institutions. Serves as a
think-tank and a capacity-builder

 Are there any emerging local practices that Bad is not adapting the Western theories to the
partake of the nature of PA and governance Philippine context for it is not only knowing what ,
that should provide the platform for the where, why, how, the public administration is but
development of the PA theory? also to train the students pursue their knowledge
 Manuel Quezon – Code of Ethics and in practice.
Citizenship (1933) – appropriate behaviour
for all classes of society- underscored living
up to the noble traditions of the Filipinos
 The code emphasized citizen responsibility
including the need to pay taxes willingly and
promptly.
 Dr. Jose Rizal - known to have used his pen
to fight against the Spaniards. “Is there a
public administration?” the question
reflects the Philippines’ situation as an
occupied country that did not have its own
voice and dentity, once dominated by the
Western colonizers. This is not dissimilar to
the experience of Philippine public
administration, heavily westernized