Written by Mycel Jane T. Tapar
Pubmat by Kryztal Peralta
While most of us are thriving and spending years acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to be qualified for the job we want, it seems that there are individuals who easily ensure their place in the position without lifting a finger. Surely, who doesn't want that? Everybody aims for convenience and reliability, the ones that will be just handed to you instantly. As others say, "Build Connections," which some individuals seem to misunderstand its intended meaning and now live it up through practicing the Padrino system.
“Kakilala ko yan” or “Malakas kami diyan” are some of the few words we probably hear somewhere. Unfortunately, these phrases were used to take advantage of the situation, bypassing the proper procedure to get straight up to the position while other people were struggling to complete the entire process. This system has continued to be a source of blatant corruption in the Philippines and has become widespread in businesses and government agencies. People eventually adapt to the system and get used to it, which leads to it being "normal."
Many measures to aid the issues have been made in congress. The Civil Service Examination seeks to aid the prevailing problem with the Padrino system. However, the officials are merely performing it to demonstrate that they are fair; in reality, the positions are already taken by persons who have the favor of those within the agencies. Alongside, many politicians, such as former Vice President Leni Robredo, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, and late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, have expressed that they will not tolerate the palakasan system and vows to end it. However, the dirty system is still existing, and it's not gotten well because of the higher-ups who openly practice it. Despite the "Anti-Political Recommendations Bill" of the late Senator Santiago, the problem is still relevant up to this day. Most of the time, we must have strong connections in order to acquire an advantage or influence in a workplace or government agencies in order to gain benefits and privileges over others.
The Padrino system prevents proper selection and recruitment procedures for Human Resources from being implemented and carried out. Supposedly, the due process of hiring an individual to a workplace is to measure the ability of the applicant to match the existing organizational structure. The skills and technical abilities to perform the specific operation and technical aspects of the job must be evaluated, including education, training, and experience and tend to predict what one can do if properly placed, oriented, developed, and motivated (Pereda et al., 2021). To hire the best candidate for the position, human resources had to complete a succession of procedures, including preliminary screening, application form, testing evaluation result, in-depth interview, evaluating references, and physical examination. However, individuals with strong connections come out ahead and obtain a favor to advance their careers, regardless of the importance of executing a proper recruitment process.
In light of these facts, seeking solutions without strict implementation is useless. The higher-ups must first reflect the change so that the people under them will follow. The unfair system will prevail if it's not given the authority it needs. While people in higher positions engage in it, the dirty system will persist and intensify.
References:
Jomvie (2015). Padrino “Palakasan” System – An Example of a Dark Side of the Philippines. Retrieved from https://ideal-helper.com/experiences-with-outsourcing-to-the-philippines/padrino-palakasan-syst em-an-example-of-a-dark-side-of-the-philippines/
Pereda, P., Ferrer, M., Arcega, R.(2020) Human Resource Management (2nd Edition). Unlimited Book
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