EPAL

DON STEPHERSON V. CALDA, PH.D.

MEDIA AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS OFFICER
DIVINE WORD COLLEGE OF CALAPAN
 26 L of the A 26 letters of the Alphabet
 7 W of the W 7 Wonders of the World
 1001 AN 1001 Arabian Nights
 12 S of the Z 12 Signs of the Zodiac
 54 C in a D (with the J) 54 Cards in a Deck (w/ the Joker)
 3 BM (SHTR) 3 Blind Mice (See How They Run)
 90 D in a RA 90 Degrees in a Right Angle
 4 H of the A 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse
 29 D of F in a LY 29 Days of February in a Leap year
 64 S in a CB 64 Squares in a Chess Board
 9 P in the SS 9 Planets in the Solar System
 88 PK 88 Piano Keys
 18 H in a GC 18 Holes in a Golf Course
 32 DF at which WF 32 Degrees Fahrenheit at which
Water Freezes
THE ISSUE: EPAL
plays on the words “makapal” or thick-skinned and
“mapapel” or attention-seeker. It has generally
come to refer to politicians or would-be politicians who
use public resources and or their positions to impose
themselves on the public by having their faces and
names on government properties, from street signs and
ambulances to tarpaulin announcements of government
projects.
In Philippine politics, name
recall is the name of the
game and politicians use
whatever means available
to get their names noticed
by the voting public. Thus,
the signage galore.

Markang Villar
Malasakit ni Martin
Ping sa 2016
Umaliwanag
WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING EPAL?

“It uses public resources for personal gain”

WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING EPAL?

“It uses the public official’s position to promote

himself”
WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING EPAL?

“It is claiming undeserved credit for something

that the public spent for”
WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING EPAL?
“It subverts public understanding of public
finance. Many still do not get the fact the
funds spent for these projects are their own
money – and that they should care it is being
spent on.”
WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING EPAL?
“The practice encourages
patronage politics”
WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING EPAL?
“The signs are often unnecessary and
a waste of public resources.”
WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING EPAL?

“It is unethical.”

TESDA
DILG MEMORANDUM NO. 2010-101 (ROBREDO)
“The practice of putting up billboards or signages bearing the names, initials and
images of government officials on government programs and projects has been
noticeably abused and misused by some public officials for their personal
interest and has taken the credit away from the taxpayers who are the one
paying for such programs through their tax payment.

In pursuit of the President’s directive issued during the 4th Cabinet Meeting held on
August 5, 2010, where he directed all members of the Cabinet and other
government instrumentalities to refrain from associating the President’s
personality and identity in their programs and projects, and pursuant to his
Department’s thrust to uphold local governance, practice of putting up
billboards and signages and other information materials bearing the
names, initials or pictures of government personalities on all government
projects, and properties (fire trucks, ambulances, vehicles, etc.) are hereby
prohibited.

Towards this end, all Local Chief Executives are hereby deiced to revisit all
government projects and properties and to ensure that this policy is strictly
observed.”
 REPUBLIC ACT 3019
ANTI GRAFT AND CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT

“Entering, on behalf of the Government, into any

contract or transaction manifestly and grossly
disadvantageous to the same, whether or not
the public officer profited or will profit
thereby.”
COMMISSION ON AUDIT (COA)
CIRCULAR 2013-004
SENATE BILL NO. 1967 (DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO)
MAGING MAPANURI
MAGING MAPAGMATYAG
 BUMOTO NG
TAMA SA 2016!