The Office of the Ombudsman has launched its values education campaign as part of its character transformation plan under the umbrella of the WE PROTECT (We Establish Public Responsibility Outcomes through Enforcement, Collaboration and Transformation) program. Zeroing-in on developing an ethically precocious young population—arguably the most impressionable among its stakeholders—the values education and anti-corruption drive has been rolled out initially in 2 key areas: the province of Pangasinan in Luzon and the City of Calbayog in the Visayas.
“We believe that by nurturing an anti-corruption attitude at an early age, the future generation will be armed with these anti-corruption stance and advocacy when they grow up as professionals and leaders of the nation,” Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires has repeatedly emphasized in the course of his 3 year-stint as the nation’s chief graftbuster.
Couched in simple language, the central message of the values education campaign strikes a spiritual chord: “ANG TAONG MAY TAKOT SA DIYOS AY HINDI GAGAWA NG MASAMA. ANG KORAPSYON AY MASAMA.”
In Pangasinan, the roll out started from the capital town itself—Lingayen—whose local chief executive vowed to echo the content and theme of the information, education, and communication (IEC) collaterals for each of the thirty-two (32) barangays in the capital town. “We have the same advocacy, to get rid of corruption as a major driver of social and economic development, said Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil who brought in key department heads of the Lingayen LGU in the roll-out conference.
As of this writing, several local government units (LGUs) in the first district of Pangasinan have shown and displayed their commitment as local partners in the anti-corruption drive: the municipalities of Agno, Burgos, Sual, Dasol, Infanta and Mabini. A couple of church parishes has also signed in to be part of the character-driven campaign—the St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish (Agno) and the Immaculate Conception Parish (Bani).
Over at Calbayog City, the Office of the Ombudsman has found a staunch ally in the Office of the Liga ng mga Barangay of Calbayog City led by Councilor Ariel Rosales. The IEC displays have been sprouting in strategic areas of the City where pedestrian and vehicular traffic is heavy.
The values education campaign was launched in Iloilo City and the National Capital Region in 2019 but the initial roll out for the campaign collaterals was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than a year later, given the circumstances, the Ombudsman saw it fit to roll out the campaign in the provinces. ###
OMB IEC campaign roll out photo documentation
PUBLIC INFORMATION AND MEDIA RELATIONS BUREAU (PIMRB)
Telephone No. 8479.7300 local 2122