A call for Philippine institutions to observe good governance
Editor’s note: This was lifted from the speech of the author as keynote speaker at the recent 3rd Management Association of the Philippines Summit on Shared Prosperity.
This is not a speech. It is a call. A call from one ordinary Filipino, one among more than 110 million, who still hopes and still believes, despite my advanced age, that our country can rise again.
Because if we are honest, we must admit that we are hurting, and hurting badly. We see the corruption. We feel the injustice. We hear the anger of our people. And perhaps, deep inside, we ask ourselves: Is there still hope for our country?
My answer is simple and straightforward: Yes, there is hope. But that hope will not come from somewhere else. It will not suddenly come from the top. It must begin, from us. From where we are. From what we do. From how we live our lives each day.
Because the truth is this: The crisis we face today is not only a crisis of systems. It is a crisis of governance. And ultimately, it is a crisis of values.
That is why the solution must also go deeper. The most effective antidote to corruption is good governance, not slogans, not anger alone, but good governance through core values, lived, practiced and sustained.
And this is the important part: Good governance is not only for government. It is for all of us. It is for every institution, in business, in government, in civil society. Because it is in our institutions where decisions are made every day. It is in our workplaces where integrity is tested. It is in our ordinary duties where character is formed. And that is why this call is directed to institutions.
Because institutions matter. They shape people. They influence behavior. They define what is right, and what is tolerated. And if institutions change, the nation can change.
But let us be clear. We can no longer wait. For too long, we have looked upward waiting for leaders, waiting for reforms, waiting for change to come from the top.
Today, we must face a difficult truth: We cannot depend on that alone.
So now, the responsibility shifts, to us, to institutions, to ordinary Filipinos who are willing to do something, not tomorrow, but today.
And so we begin
The first step is simple, but powerful. Every institution must choose and live its core values. Not many, just a few. Clear enough to remember. Strong enough to guide decisions. And these values must align with who we are supposed to be as a people: Makadiyos, makatao, makakalikasan, makabansa (pro-God, pro-humanity, pro-environment, pro-country).
These are not just words we recite. They must become the way we live, the way we are—in meetings, in decisions, in how we treat one another. Because when values are lived, not just spoken, everything begins to change.
The second step is purpose. Every institution must ask: Why do we exist? Not just to earn, not just to grow, but to serve, to serve people, to serve society, to serve the Filipino nation. Because an institution without purpose becomes self-serving, but an institution with purpose becomes a force for good.
The third step is our institutional contribution to the common good of all our people. Each institution must find its role in nation-building. It may not be big at the start. It may not be perfect. But it must be real, concrete, and sincere. Because the nation is not built by grand plans alone. It is built by many institutions doing their part—faithfully, consistently, quietly.
And from here, transformation becomes real
To make it truly real, we begin with people. We form them. We guide them. We help them become not just skilled, but good. Because behind every system is a person, and behind every decision is a conscience. And when people are formed well, institutions become strong.
We then improve our processes. We remove waste. We clean up systems. We make things work—efficiently, honestly, and transparently.
No shortcuts. No under-the-table deals. No excuses. Because a clean system is a powerful weapon against corruption.
And then, being more corrupt-free, we grow much faster, not just for ourselves, but so we can create jobs, lift others, reduce poverty, and give dignity to more Filipino families. That is what it means to be truly makabansa.
But we cannot do this alone. We need each other. Institutions must work together, learn from each other, and support each other. Because transformation is not a solo effort. It is a shared journey. We move forward in solidarity with each other.
And we must do so now, through the MAP. Not next year. Not in the next election. Now.
Between today and 2030, we have a window—a chance, a responsibility to begin something real, to show that change is possible, not from the top alone, but from the ground up.
And so, I ask you: If not us, who? If not now, when?
Because at the end of the day, the future of our country will not be decided only in halls of power, not only in Malacañang, or the halls of Congress, or in the courts of justice.
It will be decided in offices, in hospitals, in schools, in businesses, in communities, where ordinary Filipinos choose to do what is right, every single day.
And if enough of us choose this path, if enough institutions rise to this call, if MAP takes up the cudgels for national transformation, then corruption will begin to lose its hold, trust will begin to return, and hope will begin to rise again.
And one day, we will look back and say: This was the moment we chose to act. This was the moment we stopped waiting. This was the moment we began to rebuild, together, in solidarity.
And so let us begin.
For our country.
For our people.
For the Philippines we all love.
The author is the “MAP Management Person of the Year 2009”, chair of Center for Excellence in Governance, founder and chair emeritus of Institute of Corporate Directors and Institute for Solidarity in Asia. Feedback at map@map.org.ph and estanislao@icd.ph.
