Working With the Government

I was having my coffee in a shop near my place and noticed a woman in her 20s whom I assumed then was memorizing as she was holding a reviewer. She was sitting beside my table. She saw me watching  her and she smiled. As a good gesture, I smiled back and said "Hi, what are you up to?". I have learned that she is preparing for the Civil Service Examinations. She said she wants to work with the government so she really needs to pass it. Before I left the coffee shop, I then bade goodbye and wished her the best for the coming examinations. While I was walking home, I can't help but reminisce when I took the same exam in 2005, I was 20 years old then. It then crossed my mind again as to why am I in the government service? I am not telling you that working with the government is a miserable existence because that would be untrue. Working with the government has very fair benefits and perks and sense of fulfillment which you can only understand if you are one of the more than 1 million civil servants of the country today. However, I am not saying that our government is perfect as it also has a lot of loopholes which could be sometimes really disappointing.

Try to mention the  word "GOVERNMENT" and you will see a lot of people raising their eyebrows. This maybe because of the recent scandals authored by some of our politicians and alarming rate of corruption within the bureaucracy. Disgusting huh! Hey, although  politicians may be the face of government, they are merely the surface because underneath it is a myriad of departments, sub-departments, bureaus and commissions etc. that collectively form what we know as Government. 

First and foremost, let me tell you that genuine government service has never been a profitable line of career choice. Why? Because government service is not a business except for a few who really make great money for themselves. But this article is not about them. I won't be writing about these rotten tomatoes in the bureaucracy because I had enough of it. And please believe me when I say it. Sometimes, you just need to let things be or else you will end up losing a part of your coolness. 

In its truest sense, the work of government employees impacts every Filipino citizen. By far, the Government is still the best employer that you could ever have because it never runs out of money despite economic instabilities. Thanks to the taxes we pay. It is indeed the lifeblood of the nation. 

Honestly, I do not see myself working with the government until I turn gray and old but that 
does not mean I  don't love being here.  Let's just say that I have a very outgoing personality and I love experiencing a lot of meaningful things. As of now, I love being here because I am given the opportunity to be a part of the development process and become part of the solution. Yes, it could be exhausting sometimes.  

Here are a few of the reasons I chose to work with the Government:

1. Security of tenure. A lot of people would like to end up working with the government because they feel secure. Government work is steady, an attractive selling point, especially when economic times are tough. Further, no other than the Philippine Constitution protects the rights of government employees to security of tenure.

2. “I believe that everyone else my age is an adult whereas I am merely in disguise.” Margaret Atwood. Many times, I have often asked myself, "Why am I being here and working with people 20 years older than I am?". I could have spent the past years working with the younger generation but I am telling you, these oldies can better help you professionally and teach you some lessons in life considering their professional experience. Although I admit that we sometimes have disagreements over a matter as some of them are outdated. Just kidding but halfway true.

3. A lot of holidays plus generous vacation and sick leave. All of these packaged together make government an attractive employer if you are looking to have a life outside of work.

4. Career Opportunity. I would prefer not to comment about this as the Government has been good to me in the past years.  Ideally, you will have many opportunities to move up the ladder in government, but you will have to be proactive. In some cases, too bad that accomplishments do not suffice at all in terms of promotion. Well, that happens a lot of times although not all the time. Also, you have to consider that the compulsory retirement age for government employees is 65. So, what do you expect? You need to wait for an employee to retire, resign or worst die. Sorry but I think the private sector has a better career path.

5. Government is also a great place to combine your skills with your interests. For example, you could use your statistical or legal backgrounds and your interest in corrections. As a result, you play a vital role in addressing pressing issues in the corrections sector of the criminal justice system. Thus, making a difference in your homeland.

6. Salary. "My boss wanted me to start a PowerPoint presentation with a joke, so I presented my payslip." Just kidding! Government service is not a lucrative choice of career but it is a decent one. If you want to be really really and really wealthy, then government service is not for you. While many government job salaries are comparable to those in the private sector, you are not likely to become extraordinarily wealthy on your government salary, although this depends on your definition of "wealthy." Well, you you can have a decent pay and with such pay, you can have a decent home, car (not BMW or Mercedes-Benz) and travel here and abroad. An effective planning capability of course matters.

7. Making a difference. I was a scholar, that is, free of tuition and fees during my college years and my mom did not know about it. So I really get excited every enrollment time because I know I'm going to have lots of money. Very bad daughter! Seriously, government service gave me the much-desired balance of bringing home a nice paycheck, getting great benefits, and having the chance to make a difference. There may be no better place to give back all the privileges and protection that the State has given me in the past years than through government service. We need to serve our country in our own special ways no matter how short our plan to stay maybe.

Every job, in its essence, is intended to help our country and our world in some way.

The importance of the work you can do should not be understated, what you do will have impact directly on people’s lives. So, in any job that you do, perform it with a certain degree of responsibility. Do it properly with a heart. And remember, excellence is a habit. You must give your best everyday, not just weekly, monthly, quarterly or worst, annually.

But then again, always remember:

             "The only way to great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Never settle. As with all matters of the heart, you will know when you find it. " ~ Steve Jobs

         With Philippine Ambassador Raul S. Hernandez during an official visit  in South Korea.

            Strengthening cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
         

Ecology and Environmental Protection Course with my former students at the Philippine Public Safety College, National Jail Management and Penology Training Institute.

With my former boss in Davao City, the then HONORABLE MAYOR RODRIGO R DUTERTE. He is presently the President of the Republic of the Philippines. Indeed, he is destined to lead the country.

  

The Ambassador of the United States of America Sung Y. Kim accepts a painting created by one of the inmates of Tagaytay City Jail during a reception in honor of Women's History Month and the Art in Embassies Collection in Manila last March 30, 2017 at the US Ambassador's Official Residence.