KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — The Provincial Government of South Cotabato launched its 10th Integrity Week recently, underscoring the importance of integrity, competence, and ethical conduct in delivering quality public service.
With the theme “From Integrity to Excellence: Fueling Competence for Quality Public Service,” the week-long observance aims to strengthen a culture of honesty and integrity among government employees and stakeholders while promoting competence as a key element of effective public service.
The opening ceremony at the Provincial Covered Court was spearheaded by Mr. Carlito Y. Uy, chairperson of the South Cotabato Integrity Circle (SCIC), who highlighted the legal and institutional foundations that have sustained the province’s Integrity Week observance.
“Integrity Week was established through Executive Order No. 10, Series of 2015, which provided the foundation for the South Cotabato Integrity Circle. Since then, we have developed various programs and activities to promote integrity in public service,” Uy said.
Uy pointed out that the initiative was further strengthened through Provincial Ordinance No. 8, Series of 2017, which institutionalized Integrity Week in South Cotabato and served as the legal basis for its continuing observance in the province.
The activities continued September 15 through an online session via Zoom for PGSC employees, featuring a resource speaker from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) South Cotabato-General Santos City Chapter.
The session, dubbed “Integrity Insights: Strengthening Ethical Standards: Embodying Integrity through Safe Spaces,” focused on strengthening ethical standards and fostering safe spaces in the workplace.
Last September 17, the province held an Integrity Forum at the Provincial Development Council (PDC) Hall for members of the People’s Council and CSO Desk.
Resource speakers from the Philippine Open Government Partnership (PH-OGP), DILG-CAR, and the Municipality of Kalamansig are set to share insights on integrity, transparency, and participatory public service.
Jennifer Guadalupe-Ilao, Project Development Officer IV, emphasized that celebrating Integrity Week is an important reminder for public servants to uphold ethical conduct and continuously improve the way they serve the community.
“Integrity Week reminds us that providing quality public service is not only about completing our duties, but also about doing them with honesty, accountability, and competence. This celebration gives us an opportunity to reflect on how our actions as public servants affect the people we serve and to strengthen our commitment to delivering services that are responsive, transparent, and worthy of their trust,” Guadalupe-Ilao said.
Through the week-long activities, the provincial government continues to provide avenues for government workers, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to deepen their understanding of integrity and translate ethical principles into meaningful and quality public service.
