A pleasant morning to the President and CEO of the Development Academy of the Philippines, Atty. Engelbert C. Caronan, Jr., our fellow workers in the government, partners from the private sector, and everyone who is watching us today.
Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
Today’s event is anchored on the Government Quality Management Program or the GQMP. As you know, GQMP is a national government program that promotes and enhances quality improvement in the public sector. It aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of Public Sector Organizations (PSOs) in delivering citizen-focused public services and in implementing international standards-based Quality Management Systems (QMS). In other words, it is designed to steer the bureaucracy towards a more citizen-centric service delivery—that is, putting citizens at the heart of public institutions.
Kung sa private sector po ay mayroon po tayong tinatawag na customer service, tayo rin po sa gobyerno ay may pinagsisilbihan, at ‘yan po ay ang ating mga kababayan. In the new public governance realm, as public servants, we are managers and our fellow citizens are our customers.
In view of this, we have to ensure that the public services we deliver do not only respond to the actual needs of our people, but also improve the quality of their lives. Ang makapaghatid nang mas maginhawang buhay para sa lahat ng Pilipino sa pamamagitan nang mas magandang serbisyo publiko—ito ang nais nating makamit sa Bagong Pilipinas. Ito rin po ang hangarin natin para sa GQMP.
Hence, capacity-building and technical assistance on the development, implementation, and performance improvement of QMS, risk management, and service quality; citizen- and business-to-government satisfaction surveys; and promotion of government best practices through information dissemination and recognition of high-performing PSOs have been successfully conducted under the Program, among others.
And, I am happy to report that this has translated to capacitating 990 PSO key officers and staff in 2022 alone; 111 agencies were provided with technical assistance by the GQMP as of December 2022; and 200 ISO 9001:2015 Standard QMS certified agencies as of April 2023.
Meanwhile, I am also proud to share that in the 2022 Citizen Satisfaction Survey, our frontline government offices and agencies received an overall Government-to-Citizen Satisfaction Score of 96.96 percent from transacting citizens. This is a very huge improvement from our 2020 score of only 70.14. Thus, I would like to congratulate and commend our very hardworking fellow public servants for this wonderful achievement. Truly, you embody the essence of elevating quality public service!
I was also informed that part of this event’s program of activities is the 2023 Government Best Practice Recognition Ceremony, which will feature 10 presenters showcasing their exemplary innovations and best practices in public service delivery. I hope each of you will learn from these presentations and be inspired to pursue excellence in your respective organizations because I believe we must instill quality consciousness among our employees and a culture of quality in our government institutions.
Alongside the endeavors under the GQMP, we, at the Department of Budget and Management, are also working hard to contribute to improved productivity and public service delivery of the bureaucracy through the Fiscal Year 2024 National Budget, as well as structural reforms such as the proposed amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act, the institutionalization of the Philippine Open Government Partnership, and the DBM’s digital transformation roadmap.
Citizen-centric service delivery is a journey, and the Philippines undeniably still has a long way to go. It is a long-term commitment that requires dedication and determination to stay the course. And so, we invite all of you, as the theme of this event suggests, to lead the way with quality management to better serve our citizens. Samahan ninyo po kami—let us work together to deliver the quality public service that every Filipino deserves towards our Agenda for Prosperity, tungo sa Bagong Pilipinas.
Thank you very much. Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
[1] Source: 2022 DAP PDC Annual Report
[2] Source: Government Quality Management Program: Retail Demand and Supply Analysis, Briefer/ Summary of Accomplishments as of December 2022, provided by SPIB
