The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 7 conducted a training on Integrity Management Program (IMP) training to selected DSWD 7 staff in two batches at Golden Peak Hotel, Cebu City.

The first batch attended the activity on January 28-29 and the second batch, on January 30-31. The IMP training is one of DSWD’s strategies to prevent corruption and to uphold the integrity of its employees. This is in accordance with the law RA6713, which is the code of conduct and Ethical Standards of public officials and employees

“Corruption is deadly, stop it!” said Mary Jane Concha, Administrative Assistant V from the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas. She added, “for 2012 at least 101.8 Billion pesos has been lost to corruption.”

“Public office is a Public Trust,” said Marites T. Soon, Associate Graft Investigation Officer III, Office of the Ombudsman Visayas. She emphasized the responsibility of a government employee to be honest and truthful at all times because that is the commitment upon entering into the public service.

Atty. Philip C. Camiguing, Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer III, Office of the Ombudsman Visayas, discussed the penalties, sanctions and laws governing corruption. He provided examples of cases that involve high ranking officials in the land and the penalties associated with it. He stressed that “Corruption is a crime, and crime does not pay.”

The RA 6713 code of conduct was summarized into the acronyms A-S-A-L which is to be: Accountable to the People, Serve them with utmost responsibility, Act with patriotism and Lead a modest lives.

Moreover, DSWD Assistant Regional Director for Operations Shalaine Marie S. Lucero shared some highlights on integrity management to apply to each worker especially in DSWD.

She quoted some simple reminders for the workers to embrace the essence of integrity application. Work what you are supposed to do, show respect to co-workers with appropriate conversation and sympathy, keep everyone informed (in cases of changes), adhere to policies, be responsible, and correct use of office supplies. “Integrity is consistency,” ARDO Lucero said.

Corruption has long been existing and hard to combat. But if a society or an office promotes the value of integrity, corruption will not flourish.

The newly installed regional director of DSWD-7, Rebecca P. Geamala has been vocal of her advocacy against corruption. She has been reminding the staff on building a culture of integrity in the workplace to ensure that DSWD workers in region 7 work with clean hands and are morally upright. ###

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