Giving his first marching orders at the Department of Finance, Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has told his DOF co-workers the challenge before them is not just to meet their collection targets but to help meet high public expectations that the Duterte government could drive and sustain a robust economy enjoyed by all Filipinos.
Attending the DOF’s flag-raising ceremony for the first time this morning, Dominguez told over 100officials and employees they have to spearhead the new Administration’s efforts to reinvent Government in such a way as to meet the people’s expectations on making life more bearable for most of them, bringing a robust economy for the enjoyment of all.
Dominguez said that for the DOF to improve the delivery of its front-line services, each employee must be the “epitome of integrity,” must demonstrate appropriate behavior in all official dealings, completely avoid bribes and solicitations in whatever form, and avoid fraternizing with clients who might influence their performance of duty.
The finance secretary said he expects all employees to align the priorities in the Duterte Administration’s 10-point socioeconomic with their respective areas of responsibilities,and encouraged them togive suggestions as to how they could do so.
He further said he was looking forward to establishing with his co-workers a Department that “makes things and dealings easier for our citizens.”
By mid-July, Dominguez said, “I expect the cluster heads to be ready to brief the Office of the Secretary with updated organizational tables, a clear articulation of main functions, key result areas, and priorities for the next six months.”
“My expectation with regard to outcomes,” he said, “is that we will be able to improve work quality, accelerate processing, and receive zero customer complaints.”
Dominguez said, “A major reason why our people decided to vote out the old and vote in a new administration is that certain sense that government has lost touch with its citizens.”
He recalled that in his inaugural address last June 30, President Duterte quoted the late American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that: “The test of government is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide to those who have little.”
Dominguez said, “The Department of Finance can no longer use its fancy calculations to continue its detachment from the everyday lives of everyday Filipinos. We need to do our job a little differently, a little more creatively.”
All DOF officials and employees must know by heart the President’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda as this program embodies what the new government intends to do over the next six years to make good on Mr. Duterte’s electoral mandate on high, inclusive growth, he said.
“We will do all of these things toward an improved public service that is felt by the people,” said Dominguez.
Said Dominguez: “I expect each DOF employee to be the epitome of integrity. We need to demonstrate appropriate behavior in dealing with external parties, such as the public, business, and external agencies. There will be no fraud or leaks of confidential information, no solicitation of bribes, gifts, concessions in whatever form. We shall avoid fraternizing with clients or external counterparts in a way that may influence the performance of duty.”
He recalled that, ““Soon after the elections, we announced in Davao the Duterte Administration’s 10-point socioeconomic agenda, which I expect all of us to learn by heart. I am relying on you to align these priorities in your areas of responsibilities.”
“We will welcome suggestions on how we can achieve those priorities,” he told his DOF co-workers. “My door is always open to constructive and creative suggestions.”
