SWS: Corruption In LGUs Rising

By ELLALYN B. DE VERA

MANILA, Philippines --- More Filipinos believe that corruption in local government units (LGUs) is more widespread now than in the past year, based on the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results.

The nationwide 2012 Good Local Governance Survey, conducted among 1,500 household heads from Aug. 20 to 28, found that 56 percent of Filipinos still consider the level of corruption now in the city/municipality government as similar to the level a year ago, 33 percent said it is more widespread now, and 23 percent said it is more widespread last year.

The SWS noted that those who see “a lot” of corruption in the city/municipal government hardly changed from 25 percent this year to 22 percent last year.

As compared to last year, the same offices where corruption is considered most widespread occupy the top three positions, namely, the Budget Office (from 40 percent to 48 percent), Mayor’s Office (from 30 percent to 32 percent), and the Engineer’s Office (from 20 percent to 30 percent).

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The SWS also listed the top 11 offices where corruption happens. These are the Treasurer’s Office (27 percent, up from 5th to 6th), Business Permit and Licensing Office (24 percent, stayed at 5th place), Transport and Traffic Management Office (19 percent, up from 7th place), Accountant Office (18 percent, up from 9th place), and Public Market Office (16 percent, up from 12th rank), Barangay Affairs and Public Assistance Center (13 percent, down from 4th place), Assessors Office (13 percent, up from 13th to 14th place), and Agriculture Office (13 percent, down from 8th place).

Over the past three years, Filipinos’ awareness of any anti-corruption effort of the city/municipal government has grown from 26 percent to 35 percent.

The survey also found 73 percent of household heads satisfied, and 14 percent dissatisfied, with the performance of their city/municipal government, for a net satisfaction rating of “very good” +59 (percentage of satisfied minus percentage of dissatisfied).

Net satisfaction ratings are termed as +70 and above, “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”, +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; -70 and below, “execrable.”

The +59 rating is five points below the very good net rating of +64 (75 percent satisfied, 11 percent dissatisfied) in July 2011, but 15 points above the good +44 (68 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied in September 2009.

The survey also found 70 percent satisfied and 7 percent dissatisfied with the performance of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), for a very good net satisfaction rating of +63, up by five points from the good +48 (58 percent satisfied, 11 percent dissatisfied) in July 2011.

Very good net satisfaction ratings were also obtained by key local officials and institutions: Governor (down from +67 in July 2011 to +56 in August 2012), Mayor (down from an excellent +73 to +65), Vice-Mayor (down from +68 to +60), Barangay-Chairman (down from an excellent +70 to +63), City/Municipal Council (down from +61 to +57), and City/Municipal Police (hardly moving from +53 to +54).

The 2012 Survey on Good Local Governance was supported through the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and The Asia Foundation (TAF) Partnership in the Philippines.

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