Ceremonial Hall, Malacañan Palace
December 3, 2024
Underscoring the importance of maintaining integrity and trust in the fight against corruption, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. lauded the country’s hosting of the 5th State Conference on the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) Implementation and Review — a gathering that aims to uphold anti-corruption efforts, transparency and accountability across all public sector institutions.
“With this conference’s theme, ‘Pagpapatibay ng Kultura ng Integridad sa Bagong Pilipinas,’ we are called to go beyond implementing policies and protocols and to look deep into our core values to strengthen the culture of integrity,” the President said.
“We must shift away from merely enforcing compliance with laws, rules and regulations, to steering our people towards the practice of integrity in their daily lives. Integrity that is rooted in katapatan, malasakit, pakikipag-kapwa and bayanihan, these need to be reinforced and sustained,” he added.
President Marcos Jr. reiterated that this kind of transformation guides not only the system of governance but also the behaviors embodied by Filipinos under the Bagong Pilipinas vision. He likewise noted that the government should remain committed to adopting comprehensive and interconnected strategies that will strengthen the bureaucracy’s integrity and accountability.
Since the start of the Administration, the Chief Executive inked various legislative measures and promoted initiatives that will ensure efforts to combat corruption by streamlining and digitalizing government processes. These include the eGovernment PH application, eMarketplace, New Government Procurement Act and the enhanced Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System, among others.
He also emphasized empowering people to participate in good governance by promoting full public disclosure of information through the electronic Freedom of Information (eFOI) platform.
“These efforts align with the Integrity Management Plan (IMP), which is now being reformulated to better address systematic challenges and to adapt to the ever changing-political landscape… By learning from and working with other nations, we strengthen our anti-corruption mechanisms while reaffirming our place as a proactive member of the global community,” the President conveyed.
“Together, these interconnected efforts form a united approach to fostering a government that is efficient, accountable and reflective of a nation committed to placing honor and integrity over self-interest,” President Marcos Jr. stated.
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