Bureaucracy and
reorganization

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

It was a very good and timely move for the provincial government of Negros Occidental to get a consultancy firm to study the set-up and to present recommendations for the reorganization of the offices under it.

This has been the practice of several private companies as well as some government-owned and controlled corporations who, in assessing their own organizations, came to realize that some units, departments and sections are no longer relevant, others superfluous, and not in tune with the times anymore.

In some government offices across the country, where the bureaucracy is so ingrained and also so outdated, performance and efficiency have been greatly affected. It has to be admitted, too, that many employees, especially those nearing retirement, can not, or are not willing to keep up with the advances brought about by the age of technology.

It is also clear that many of the departments or divisions that had been created decades ago are no longer functional, or are merely duplicating the functions of others, causing the government unit to allocate funds for salaries of their personnel and for operating expenses.

In the case of Negros Occidental, the company hired to undertake the study has already come up with its findings and recommendations. From these, it can be seen that, indeed, there are some offices that could be merged, and realignment of some is needed to ensure better working conditions and efficiency, to say nothing about reductions in expenses.

There may, of course, be some recommendations that may not be feasible or practical at the moment. But those that are seen to be most advantageous should be carefully considered, and if really practicable and beneficial, should be programmed for adoption at the soonest possible time, because it is a far different world we live in now compared to the past decades when those offices were created and staffed.*