Introduction:

Why is political trust important? Trust is the foundation upon which the legitimacy of public
institutions is built and is crucial for maintaining social cohesion. If the trust in the government
continues to decline, we will not prosper. Because a decline in trust can lead to lower rates of
compliance with rules and regulations. The decline in trust in government has been brought
about by many factors including waste of public resources, graft, and corruption, lack of integrity
in government, poor leadership, excessive red tape, etc… to sum it all up, the main reason for the
decline of trust in the government is the UNRESPONSIVE GOVERNANCE.

The Philippines has missed so many opportunities to implement fundamental economic,

political, and administrative reforms in the past. The nation that was once regarded as among the
most modern in this part of the world now presents a sad picture of backwardness and poverty.
And it is all because of bad governance.

Body:

The complex challenges faced by governments in all countries cannot be met successfully unless
the status of government service is revalued. In turn, this requires that the traditional public
service ethos or the set of values that guide and motivate the public servants to serve us, the
people be reinforced such as honesty, integrity, impartiality, respect for the rule of law, respect
for persons, among others, values/virtues vary from one person to another and from one country
to another.
In order for the government to restore the trust of the public, reforms are needed. Public service
ethos such as integrity and trust are significant in introducing any kind of reform. However,
public sector reforms, including reorganization that involve changes in structures, processes, and
procedures would be ineffective unless these areas are accompanied by reforms in behavior,
mindsets, and eventually values.

The notion of trust and integrity in public service

Integrity is defined as the practice of being truthful and adhering to strong moral and ethical
principles and values on a consistent and unwavering basis. Integrity is defined in ethics as the
honesty, truthfulness, or accuracy of one's actions. Integrity in civil service, for example, entails
being truthful and adhering to strong moral principles. As a result, it is very important for civil
servants to possess this quality because they serve the nation as members of the highest
administrative society.

Integrity is the most relevant and vital attribute to combat corruption in government. It is
advantageous not only to the nations but also ensures the sincerity of the public workers in their
work. They have a direct impact on the people of their activities and how they deal with
corruption. In this case, the mission can only be achieved with honesty as a core value. Integrity
in public service is a means of gaining and maintaining the confidence of the people via
transparency and perfect working for them.

Trust is the basis on which public institutions build their legitimacy, and is vital to the
preservation of social cohesiveness. Trust is vital to the effectiveness of a broad range of
government programs that depend on public response. Trust involves having a good sense of a
person or organization's conduct. The phenomenon is a subjective one, expressed in the "Eyes of
the beholder," that is particularly important in so much as it determines behavior.

Trust in government builds on two primary components:

1. Social trust - It expresses public trust in its social society

2. Political Trust - It is appreciating government and its institutions by citizens.

Government trust was considered as one of the most fundamental cornerstones of political
systems' legitimacy and durability. Confidence is crucial to social cohesiveness and well-being
because it impacts the capacity of governments to rule and enables them to act without
compulsion.

INTEGRITY AND TRUST AS TRANSLATED TO THE PHILIPPINE PUBLIC

SERVICE

Art. XI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Under Article XI of Accountability of Public Office, Section 1 states that “Public office is a
public trust. Public officers and employees must, at all times, be accountable to the people, serve
them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency; act with patriotism and justice,
and lead modest lives.” This is the trusted power of every citizen to officers to fulfill their duty.
The duty and power should be true to the Constitution, the laws. It should be used only for the
benefit of everyone and not use through personal interest and advantage.

This provision is also mentioned in RA 6713 or the Rules of Ethical Standards for Public
Officers and Employees. This means that the integrity of both the politicians and the government
officials must be guaranteed, because they are both responsible for the public. But, for the public,
it is often difficult to distinguish between politicians and public officials. This distinction is not
made in the public, and the government is held responsible and is justified, as both elected and
non-elected officials are involved in most public choices. It carries a sense of duty and morality
in the Philippine Constitution. The abuse and abuse of authority is an infringement of public
trust.

Issues and Challenges in Public Service Ethics in the Philippines

In the absence of transparency and accountability, there was a greater voice of civil society when
it expressed distrust in government. In fact, civil society groups in the Philippines have always
demanded government accountability.

In the Philippines, grease and corruption are indeed the primary concern and problems. The
Philippines has suffered from the harmful effects of corruption for a long time. The public sector
has been struck by a bad image, in addition to corruption. People in the bureaucracy have been
described as inept, corrupt, and slow, either fairly or unfairly. Public officials and employees at
various levels experience a crisis of public trust and mistrust. There is even distrust between
government agencies.

LEADERSHIP- essential for all types of organizations, especially in public administration. It is a

key towards determining the capacity of the Government to formulate plans and programs,
implement such policies and laws for the public welfare, whether an administration will lead
towards success or failure.

4 Main factors of Good Governance and responsive public administration:

-Efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, and transparency.

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION- engage with the government through taking an active part in public
life. It is crucial due to an opportunity that enables the public to better understand the policies
and processes.

Conclusion:

4 BROAD REFORM TYPES

-Institutions and Structures, Organizations, Processes, and Procedures

-Mindset and Behavior
-Leadership
-Citizen engagement
Above all, two of the most important virtues of public ethics in the Philippines are in tegrity and
trust. Building integrity and restoring trust in the system of governance is very significant,
which is why it is central in most advocacies for political-administrative reform in the country.
The continuing challenge over the years has been the implementation of reforms. As we suggest
in this article, reforms should be targeted at four areas: institutions, structures, and processes;
behavior and mindsets; leadership; and citizen engagement. All reforms should move in
consonance with a common vision of restoring trust in government. After decades of failure and
frustration, applying the four-pronged thrusts may likely result in successful reforms given the
will of the government to implement them over a reasonable period of time.