SHOULD WE BRING BACK THE PROFESSIONAL CAREER UNDERSECRETARIES?

SHOULD WE BRING BACK THE PROFESSIONAL CAREER UNDERSECRETARIES? What is supposed to be the design of our bureaucracy is not always what we see in practice. On paper, the Philippine civil service is built on professionalism, merit, and security of tenure. Undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, and directors are supposed to be career officials, rising through the ranks based on competence and experience. In reality, many departments now look like revolving doors—every time a new Secretary arrives, a new set of undersecretaries seems to come with him or her. This is not how a serious bureaucracy is supposed to work. In many countries, only the Minister is political. Everyone else is professional. In some systems, there is even a Permanent Secretary, a career official who remains in place regardless of who the Minister is, supervising undersecretaries and safeguarding institutional memory. The logic is simple: elected leaders set direction and policy; career officials ensure continuity, execution, and technical rigor. Here, however, the reverse appears to be happening. Political appointments have crept deeper into the bureaucracy, overshadowing career officials who are supposed to provide stability. We already have the laws to protect career service—what seems lacking is the will to implement them consistently. Why does this matter? First, institutional memory. Career undersecretaries carry with them years—sometimes decades—of knowledge about programs, past reforms, legal pitfalls, and operational realities. When they are replaced wholesale, agencies suffer a “reset effect,” relearning old lessons at great cost to taxpayers. Second, technical expertise. Departments like the DFA, DOH, DPWH, and NEDA are not entry-level organizations. Diplomacy, public health, infrastructure, and economic planning require deep specialization. Career officials are trained precisely for this. Political loyalty cannot substitute for technical competence. Third, meritocracy and morale. When senior positions are filled primarily through political connections, what message does that send to rank-and-file civil servants? That excellence does not matter? Does loyalty matter more than skill? This quietly erodes motivation and encourages short-term thinking. Fourth, continuity of service. Governments change, but public services should not lurch violently every three or six years. Career undersecretaries provide the ballast that keeps programs moving during transitions, budget delays, or leadership reshuffles. Fifth, corruption risk. A bureaucracy dominated by political appointees is more vulnerable to patronage and rent-seeking. Career officials, protected by tenure and professional norms, are better positioned to say no—to illegal orders, dubious projects, or pressure from vested interests. We already know this works. In 2022, the Department of Foreign Affairs deliberately appointed an all-career lineup of undersecretaries, emphasizing professional diplomacy and continuity. Contrast this with agencies that have seen waves of political appointments and recurring controversies. The pattern is not hard to see. Other countries offer useful models. The United Kingdom’s permanent secretaries outlast ministers and ensure policy continuity. Singapore relies heavily on career technocrats at the highest administrative levels. Even in the United States—often cited as highly political—the Senior Executive Service exists precisely to stabilize operations beneath political leadership. So the question is not whether we need new laws. We don’t. The question is: why are we not enforcing the laws we already have? Bringing back professional career undersecretaries is not anti-politics. It is pro-governance. Let Secretaries define vision and priorities. Let career officials run systems, manage people, and remember what worked—and what failed. If we want a bureaucracy that learns, adapts, and resists decay, we need a career backbone that survives politics. Without it, every administration starts from scratch—and the public pays the price. BY RAMON IKE V. SENERES www.facebook.com/ike.seneres iseneres@yahoo.com senseneres.blogspot.com 09088877282/11-05-2026