Fenix, Dei Monica B.

PPSC1104 Section
3
Formative Assessment 1
Administration is defined as a process of administering a business or organization.
Merriam-Webster defines it as the performance of executive duties. On the other hand, Surendra
Singh enunciates that “administration is an activity as well as a field of study.” Administration is
divided into two branches, public administration, and private administration. Now, what could be
the differences between the two?
First, what is public administration? It is the systematic execution or application of the
policies. Under it is the public sector, it aims to provide services as a military power, health care,
law enforcement, public education, and others.
Public administration has the following characteristics. It views its clientele as citizens,
those who are active, participating, and know their rights. Its flexibility is low, due to the laws,
policies, and legal limitations, their operations would be limited. The size of the structure is
massive, for all of the citizens are under it, and its financial aspect is the revenue produced from
taxes and fees, which should not be spent for personal leisure.
On the other side, what could private administration be? Private administration is where
the private business enterprises are being managed and organized. Under it is the private sector,
it’s the corporations or organizations privately owned, and examples of this are SM Supermalls,
Camella Homes, Deloitte, Unilever, and others.
Private administration has the following characteristics. It views their clientele as
customers for the private administration is profit-driven. Its flexibility of process is high, they
follow protocols in their company but they could compromise for their clients. Its size of
structure is limited only because its clientele is only for customers who could pay. Its financial
aspect is profit-based, where their services and performances are directly going through the
company or the sector.
With public and private administration elucidated, public administration is more difficult
for the reasons that its size of the structure is vast compared to private administration. Its
flexibility is way too rigid. There could be problems with the management of the revenue
Problem with the system in public administration itself, such as corruption and delays in the
processes related to the services of public sectors. For example, the recent issue of the 15 billion
pesos fraud in PhilHealth.
Public administration and private administration differ from their clientele, flexibility of
processes, structure size, and financial aspect. With the difficulties mentioned above, it depicts
how harder it is on the public administration compared to private administration.
Moving on, Woodrow Wilson articulated that “The field of administration is a field of
business. It is removed from the hurry and strife of politics…” That is ideal, however, is there a
separation of politics and administration here in the Philippines? My answer would be no, why?
Besides the reasons given to us as an example in the discussion of the last meeting, there is also
an aspect I observed, conflict of interest.
 Senators must scrutinize bills, it is one of their jobs in politics. However, Senator Cynthia
Villar allegedly has a conflicting interest because of their family business, Camella Homes, and
Vista Land, which is under the private administration and private sector. Way back in 2018, she
stated that “Don’t make land development a reason for the agricultural sector’s slow growth” If
land development isn't the ground for the slow growth of the agricultural sector. Perhaps her
conflict of interest and the possibility of her taking advantage of her position in politics is the
reason. It could be her working on her seat while administering their business. She could be
resolving the conflict with the growth of the agricultural sector by recommending bills that could
help it, unfortunately, that couldn’t be the case due to her alleged conflict of interest.
The idea of Woodrow Wilson is great, however, it’s too idealistic to be true in the
Philippines. Where politicians could be in the field of business too, artists, boxers, and
entrepreneurs name it. I’m not saying it’s wrong, however, if it gets mixed with their job that is
where the narrative changes. Due to these reasons, I believe that there is no separation of politics
and administration in our country.
References:
Administration. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/administration
HigherStudy.org. (2020, April 22). Difference Between Private and Public Administration.
Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://higherstudy.org/difference-between-private-
public-administration/
Jimenez, A. (2019, February 14). The Villars' alleged conflicts of interest. Retrieved August 27,
2020, from https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/opinion/2019/02/15/1893856/villars-
alleged-conflicts-interest
Ocampo, K. (2018, September 10). Villar: Don't make land development a reason in agri sector's
slow growth. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1030209/villar-dont-make-land-development-a-reason-in-
agri-sectors-slow-growth
Singh, S. (2020, February 14). Difference Between Public Administration and Private
Administration . Retrieved August 27, 2020, from
http://www.differencebetween.net/business/difference-between-public-administration-and-
private-administration/