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Corruption – Is it such a bad thing?

Even while the government works diligently at eradicating the massive corruption that permeates this society, it is also creating more opportunities for its government to be corrupted. By the very nature of the systems implemented to combat this scourge, there must inevitably be human beings conducting these checks, enforcing and administering these regulations. A situation is then created of “who polices the police” While not many outsiders are aware of the sheer level of the corruption here, the locals are very aware of this practice and often times witness this first hand at a very young age. Here’s a perfect example.

A Chinese smuggler once told me “in some Asian countries the corruption is in the skin, some it’s in the flesh but in the Philippines, it is in the very bones”. It literally permeates society from the lowliest Tanod, basically a civilian police assistant, to the presidential office. Anyone with any modicum of authority is susceptible to bribery and many openly encourage it as this is a common practice from the very beginning stages of this society.

Truly this is a major dilemma for even those that understand how detrimental it is to society and the economy, as it is also an integral part of business and society. Corruption is not confined to the government. An electrical company whose supervisor is also the only “independent contractor” with authority to install transformers can charge an inflated amount for the contract and refusal to pay the exorbitant rate means no electricity for your resort. An insurance adjuster who can “expedite” the process to get your settlement is simply holding the check to create this situation. Ask me how I know.

Even if we embrace these reforms and steadfastly refuse to participate in any form of corruption, those that continue to practice it will have an unfair advantage over those that don’t. A business that pays customs to allow smuggling or lower import duties will be in a position to compete unfairly in a price war with its rivals because of lower costs. A businessman who allows the mayor to stick his hand in his pocket will receive building, zoning, planning concessions not available to others. Citizens refusing to “pay for their traffic violation in cash” must then pay the higher ticket amount and must then stand in line at the local City Hall for almost half a day for the privilege of doing this. No automatic systems here.

From a practical viewpoint, I do not advocate paying bribes for situations that are recurring. Business licenses, Zoning issues, or any type of cyclical permits should be followed to the letter of the law. Paying to circumvent them will come back to bite you in the butt as the inevitable new government retroactively enforces static regulations. A good example of this is the teardown of resorts built too close to the ocean in Malapascua & Moalboal.

Did they have permits? yes, Did they violate building and zoning rules? yes, However, that being said, I do recommend payment for single offenses like a traffic violation. Pay & drive away.

Issues with the tax people can also be dealt with this way as the paperwork accomplished in conjunction with the payment will absolve you of any future obligations. The primary purpose of “enforcement” is to deter you from committing offenses so these payments are effective. You certainly do not want to pay again and the payment goes to the parties that caught you so they are incentivized to catch more transgressors. I know this viewpoint is warped but this is my view from the ground. Many others that have been in these similar situations can also vouch for these occurrences as it does appear to be quite a common occurrence all throughout the Philippine islands.

Am I part of the problem? Yes. Am I looking forward to a resolution? Not really. I like the “system” such as it is. Coming from a country where minor infractions can bring governmental wrath raining down upon you and can ruin your life without any recourse. There’s a certain comfort in knowing that Pesos paid in the right direction can smooth over most troubled waters. The news is that it is getting better, corruption is down, transparency is up and only after enough time and learning we might see a change in the direction these issues may be steering towards, We’ll see.

These issues tend to be an occurrence of pushing the chances the perpetrator has in getting the most out of the bribe that day from you as possible. It is very rare that a bribe or payment to smooth over an issue is carried out over long periods of time especially for small offenses as with the traffic ticket mentioned earlier in this article. While this may be a common occurrence more oftentimes for the foreigners visiting the Philippines it does often times happen to the locals as well when they show a caliber of having more money than the average homeless individual on the street.

If you are interested in finding out what your options are when trying to get around a problem you may be having or perhaps want a bit of information on what you can do to avoid some of the common corruption tactics found in the Philippines, come to say hello to us at any of our BADLADZ Adventure Resorts and we would be more than happy to help assist you with your problem. If you would like to stay with us at one of the best resorts found here in Puerto Galera just three hours from the big city of Manila, book a room with us today and enjoy a semi-private beach, internationally known restaurant, and convenient pool and lawn steps away from the ocean.

Cheers

Sean

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