4.

Bureaucratic Structure of Philippine and Singaporean Government

Important Characteristics of Philippine Bureaucracy:

1. Vulnerable to Nepotism
Under Philippine Bureaucracy substructure of small kinship groups, members
of the family groups by consanguinity, affinity, and by ritual kinship give top
priority to family loyalty. Within such groupings, all of them feel that they are
under obligation to help each other in a variety of ways.

2. Perpetuation of the spoils system

Classify service, unclassified and temporary positions which have become
convenient instruments for the practice of nepotism and patronage

3. Apathetic public reaction of bureaucratic misconduct

The people looked upon the phenomenon as a concomitant result of the
increasing complexity in the government, a method of political promises to the
unemployed and underemployed segments of the population.

4. Availability of external peaceful means of correcting bureaucratic

weakness
Devices such as constitutional right and privileges freedom of speech,
freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, civic action that have been used for
rectifying the defects and misdeeds of bureaucracy.

5. Survival of historical experience

The Philippine political bureaucracy was administered according to a civil law
system which the Spanish Bureaucracy as the scapegoat for all the weaknesses
of the Philippine political bureaucracy. There are indications, however that
the weaknesses are not to be totally and directly attributed to the Spanish
Government Bureaucracy.

6. Lack of Independence from politics

Because of the absences of class consciousness and of a feeling of unity on
the part of the Filipino bureaucrats and the stigma of post-World War 2 illrepute, The Philippine bureaucracys merit system was easily subject to
attack and tampering by politicians. They worked through the legislative and
executive branches of the national government.

7. Essential Instrument of social change

In spite of its weaknesses, The Philippine bureaucracys function in nation
building will be as complicated and as demanding as the function of the whole
society itself. Primarily, It will have to be a tool for innovations.

Bureaucracy in Singapore
1. The government played an active role in managing the society and
developing the economy and was the country's largest single employer.
Government bodies and their employees fell into two distinct categories.
The regular ministries and their civil service employees concentrated on
recurrent and routine administrative tasks. The three ministries of
education, health, and home affairs (including police, fire, and
immigration) employed 62 percent (43,000) of the 69,700 civil servants
in 1988. Members of the civil service in the strict sense of the term were
those public employees who were appointed by the Public Service
Commission and managed by the Ministry of Finance's Public Service

Division. Active projects in economic development and social

engineering were carried out by a large number of special-purpose
statutory boards and public enterprises, which were free from
bureaucratic procedures and to which Parliament delegated sweeping
powers.
2. The two branches of the public service served different functions in the
political system. The civil service proper represented institutional
continuity and performed such fundamental tasks as the collection of
revenue, the delivery of such goods as potable water, and the provision
of medical and educational services. The various quasigovernmental
bodies, such as statutory boards, public enterprises, commissions, and
councils represented adaptability, innovation, and responsiveness to
local conditions. The constitutional framework of Singapore's
government, with its Parliament, cabinet, courts, and functional
ministries, resembled that of its British model and its peers in other
countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations. The particular
collection of boards and councils, which included everything from the
Central Provident Fund to the Sikh Advisory Board, reflected the
successful adaptation of the British model to its Southeast Asian
environment.
3. Public service employment carried high prestige, and there was
considerable competition for positions with the civil service or the
statutory boards. Civil servants were appointed without regard to race
or religion, and selected primarily on their performance on competitive
written examinations. The civil service had four hierarchical divisions
and some highly ranked "super grade" officials. On January 1, 1988,
there were 493 super grade officers, who included ministerial
permanent secretaries and departmental secretaries and constituted less
than 1 percent of the 69,700 civil servants. Division one consisted of
senior administrative and professional posts and contained 14 percent of
the civil servants. The mid-level divisions two and three contained
educated and specialized workers who performed most routine
government work and who made up the largest group of civil servants,
33 and 32 percent of all civil servants, respectively. Division four
consisted of manual and semiskilled workers who made up 20 percent of
employees.

4. The Singapore public service was regarded as almost entirely free from
corruption, a fact that in large part reflected the strong emphasis the
national leadership placed on probity and dedication to national values.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau enjoyed sweeping powers
of investigation and the unreserved support of the prime minister.
Official honesty was also promoted by the relatively high salaries paid
to public officials; the high salaries were justified by the need to remove
temptations for corruption.

5. 6. Politics and Administration of the Philippines

The Philippines is a republic with a presidential form of government
wherein power is equally divided among its three branches: executive,
legislative, and judicial.
One basic corollary in a presidential system of government is the
principle of separation of powers wherein legislation belongs to
Congress, execution to the Executive, and settlement of legal
controversies to the Judiciary.
The Legislative branch is authorized to make laws, alter, and repeal
them through the power vested in the Philippine Congress. This
institution is divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Legislative process
Congress is responsible for making enabling laws to make sure the spirit of
the constitution is upheld in the country and, at times, amend or change the
constitution itself. In order to craft laws, the legislative body comes out with
two main documents: bills and resolutions.
Resolutions convey principles and sentiments of the Senate or the House of
Representatives. These resolutions can further be divided into three different
elements:

 joint resolutions require the approval of both chambers of Congress

and the signature of the President, and have the force and effect of a law
if approved.
concurrent resolutions used for matters affecting the operations of
both chambers of Congress and must be approved in the same form by
both houses, but are not transmitted to the President for his signature
and therefore have no force and effect of a law.
Simple resolutions deal with matters entirely within the prerogative
of one chamber of Congress, are not referred to the President for his
signature, and therefore have no force and effect of a law.
Bills are laws in the making. They pass into law when they are approved by
both houses and the President of the Philippines. A bill may be vetoed by the
President, but the House of Representatives may overturn a presidential veto
by garnering a 2/3rds vote. If the President does not act on a proposed law
submitted by Congress, it will lapse into law after 30 days of receipt.

The Executive branch is composed of the President and the Vice President
who is elected by direct popular vote and serve a term of six years. The
Constitution grants the President authority to appoint his Cabinet. These
departments form a large portion of the countrys bureaucracy.
POWERS
OF THE
PRESIDENTthe
Besides the
constitution,

powers of the President of the Philippines are

specifically outlined in Executive Order No. 292, s. 1987, otherwise known as
the Administrative Code of 1987. The following powers are:
1. Power of control over the executive branch
The President of the Philippines has the mandate of control over all the
executive departments, bureaus, and offices. This includes restructuring,
reconfiguring, and appointments of their respective officials. The
Administrative Code also provides for the President to be responsible for the
abovementioned offices strict implementation of laws.
2. Power ordinance power

The President of the Philippines has the power to give executive issuances,
which are means to streamline the policy and programs of an administration.
There are six issuances that the President may issue.

3. Power over aliens

The President of the Philippines has certain powers over non-Filipinos in the
Philippines.
4. Powers of eminent domain, escheat, land reservation and recovery of illgotten wealth
The President of the Philippines has the authority to exercise the power of
eminent domain. The power of eminent domains means the state has the
power to seize or authorize the seizure of private property for public use with
just compensation.
5. Power of appointment
The President may appoint officials of the Philippine government as provided
by the constitution and laws of the Philippines. Some of these appointments,
however, may need the approval of the Committee on Appointments (a
committee composed of members from the House of Representatives and the
Senate of the Philippines).
6. Power of general supervision over local governments
The President of the Philippines, as chief executive, has the mandate to
supervise local governments in the Philippines, despite their autonomous
status as provided by Republic Act No. 7160 otherwise known as the Local
Government Code of 1991.
DUTIES
OF THE
VICEconstitution,
PRESIDENT
According
to the

the vice president may concurrently assume a

cabinet position should the President of the Philippines offer the former one.

The vice president will become a secretary concurrent to the position of vice
president.
Aside from the cabinet post, the vice president is mandated to assume the
presidency in case of the death, disability, or resignation of the incumbent
President.

The Judicial branch holds the power to settle controversies involving rights
that are legally demandable and enforceable. This branch determines whether
or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess
of jurisdiction on the part and instrumentality of the government. It is made
up of a Supreme Court and lower courts.
The Constitution expressly grants the Supreme Court the power of Judicial
Review as the power to declare a treaty, international or executive agreement,
law, presidential decree, proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance or
regulation unconstitutional.
Judicial power rests with the Supreme Court and the lower courts, as
established by law (Art. VIII, sec. 1 of the 1987 Constitution). Its duty is to
settle actual controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and
enforceable (Art. VIII Sec. 1 (2)).
The judiciary enjoys fiscal autonomy. Its appropriation may not be reduced
by the Legislature below the appropriated amount the previous year (Art.
VIII, Sec. 3).
APPOINTMENTS
TO THE
JUDICIARY
By virtue of Article
VIII,
Section 8, appointments to the judiciary are made by
the President of the Philippines based on a list submitted by the Judicial and

Bar Council which is under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Its
principal function is to screen prospective appointees to any judicial post.

Politics and Administration of Singapore

The Constitution of Singapore is the supreme law of the Republic of
Singapore. It lays down the fundamental principles and framework for the
Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary the three organs of the state.
The constitution cannot be amended without the approval of more than twothirds of the members of the parliament on the second and third readings.
Part IV of the fourteen-part Constitution contains the guarantee of the
fundamental liberties of Singapore citizens: liberty of the person; prohibition
of slavery and forced labour; protection against retrospective criminal laws
and repeated trials; equal protection under the law; prohibition of banishment
and freedom of movement; freedom of speech, assembly and association;
freedom of religion; and rights in respect of education.
Together with the President of Singapore, the Parliament is known as the
Legislature. The Parliament has a single house and is modeled after the
Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. The Westminster system
has Members of Parliament who are voted in at General Elections. The leader
of the political party that secures the most seats in Parliament becomes the
Prime Minister (PM). The PM will choose his Ministers from elected MPs to
form the Cabinet. The life of each Parliament is 5 years from the date of its
first sitting after a General Election. The General Elections are held within 3
months of the dissolution of the Parliament.
The Parliament has three major functions: making laws, controlling the
states finances and performing the critical/inquisitorial role to check on the
actions of the governing party and the Ministries.
The Structure of the Parliament
1.
The Speaker of the Parliament The Speaker of the Parliament chairs
the sittings of the House and enforces the rules prescribed in the Standing

Orders of Parliament for the orderly conduct of the parliamentary

business.
2.

The Government The President appoints the Prime Minister and the
other Cabinet Members from among the elected MPs. The Prime Minister
leads the Cabinet in the administration of the Government.

3.

Leader of the House The Leader of the House is responsible for the
arrangement of Government business and the legislative program of
Parliament.

4.

Party Whip Party whips safeguard good communication within the

party and contribute to the smooth running of the partys parliamentary
machinery.

5.

Members of the Parliament MPs act as a bridge between the people

and the government by ensuring that concerns of the people are heard in
the Parliament.

6.

Parliament Secretariat The Secretariat assists Parliament in its

functions and in all matters related to its procedures and practices, the
organization of its business and the undertakings of its committees.
7. Planning of the Philippine Government

The Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016 adopts a framework of inclusive

growth, which is high growth that is sustained, generates mass employment,
and reduces poverty. With good governance and anticorruption as the
overarching theme of each and every intervention, the Plan translates into
specific goals, objectives, strategies, programs and projects all the things that
we want to accomplish in the medium term.
Planning of the Singaporean Government
Planning for sustainability
While our challenges today are vastly different from the 1960s, our priority
remains the same: catering for economic growth and a good quality of life,
maintaining a clean and green environment, and making the best use of our
resources. What has constantly guided our approach to sustainable
development is far-sighted, holistic, and comprehensive planning, which
enables us to take into account future development needs through an
integrated planning process. Our objectives are: Economic Sustain a robust
and vibrant economy Social Provide a good quality of living and a sense of

well-being for all Environmental Develop in an environmentally responsible

manner Land and sea Optimize our limited land and sea space Public
consultation is an integral part of land use planning. The public and
stakeholders are consulted throughout the planning process during the
Concept Plan and Master Plan reviews, on area-specific plans (such as the
ongoing public consultation efforts for the Rail Corridor), and development
control guidelines. We also proactively realize our vision, in collaboration with
the public and private sectors, and the community.

8. Decision Making Strategies:

Philippines - INTEGRATED DECISION-MAKING
Decision-Making: Coordinating Bodies
A mechanism to ensure integration of sustainable development in local plans,
programs and projects is through the localization of PA 21. In this regard, the
PCSD has been supporting local initiatives on the creation of local councils
through technical assistance and trainings. To date, 16 local units have already
been established, 11 of which are at the regional level, 4 at the provincial level
and one at the municipal level.
Decision-Making: Strategies, Policies and Plans
A development vision and framework for the 21st Century has been
formulated under the Long-Term Philippine Development Plan (LTPDP),
2000-2025 or Plan 21. The LTPDP framework recognizes that the new
millennium will increasingly call for economic development to become less
ecologically destructive. Plan 21 builds on the solid foundations created by the
MTPDP. Plan 21 sets the broad developmental directions of the country and
will serve as the basis for the detailed plans of the sector agencies. It ensures
the continuation of policies based on self-responsibility, productivity, creation
of opportunities through competitive markets and enlightened government
regulation.
The Philippines has also established a national Agenda 21 called
the Philippine Agenda 21, or PA 21. It provides for the creation of an enabling

environment which would assist various stakeholders to integrate sustainable

development in their decision-making processes. One of the strategies adopted
is the institutionalization of the system of Environmental and Natural
Resources Accounting (ENRA). This is a management tool for integrating
environment and the economy. Various initiatives are currently underway to
consider and adequately value natural capital and environmental services in
socio-economic decisions as well as the establishment of a reliable database on
the valuation estimates of environmental services.
Singapore - Financial Control
Parliament exercises financial control by requiring the Government to seek
the approval of the House for its annual budget.
The annual Budget Statement usually takes place in late February or early
March before the new financial year begins on the 1st of April. The Finance
Minister, in presenting the Budget Statement, will review the country's
economic performance in the previous year and announce economic proposals
including any taxes or incentives to be introduced for the coming year.
Accompanying the Budget Statement is the Budget Book which sets out in
detail the estimates of expenditure showing how each Government Ministry
proposes to use the public money to be expended by the Government in the
next financial year.

Sources: http://www.slideshare.net/antonovanive/the-nature-of-bureaucracyin-the-philippines
http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Singapore/sub5_7c/entry-3759.html
http://www.gov.ph/about/gov/
https://www.guidemesingapore.com/relocation/introduction/singaporespolitical-system
http://www.neda.gov.ph/2013/10/21/philippine-development-plan-2011-2016/
https://www.ura.gov.sg/skyline/skyline12/skyline12-03/special/URA_Designing
%20our%20City%20Supplement_July12.pdf

http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/philipi/inst.htm
https://www.parliament.gov.sg/what-we-do