Tested positive, tested negative

"What is our result for integrity, competence, discipline and civic-mindedness?"

In the deadly and depressing world of the coronavirus, two phrases have emerged as the most important in public discourse. They relate to the testing of a person for infection with the virus: “Tested positive” if the test showed that the person had become infected by COVID-19, and “tested negative” if the person was found free of the virus. Being “tested positive” is not a death sentence, for worldwide experience thus far is that around 80 percent of “tested positive” persons eventually recover; on the other hand, being “tested negative” might mean that the test may have given a false-negative result, which according to reports happen about 30 percent of the time.

The people of this country are filled with joy every time they learn that a PUI (person under investigation) or a PUM (person under monitoring) has tested negative for the coronavirus. But they think that it is not only infectation with COVID-19 that their fellow-citizens—especially their public officials—should be tested for. In their opinion there should also be “tested positive” or “tested negative” determination for fellow citizens in the areas of integrity, competence, diligence and civic mindedness.

Integrity tops the list of things that Filipinos want to be made the object of testing. Today’s Philippine society is up to its neck in corruption. One only has to mention the clearance of 6.4 tons of methamphetamine (shabu) through the Bureau of Customs, the unimpeded disappearance from the Manila Customs zone of no less than 2,000 containers, the PhilHealth scams and the series of anomalies at the Bureau of Immigration to appreciate the extent and depth of corruption in the government. The Filipino people want to see most of the integrity-test subjects—especially the civil servants—to be “tested positive” for integrity, but that is probably a forlorn hope.

Another test to which Filipinos wish their fellow citizens could be subjected is a test for competence. Sad to say, incompetence abounds in Philippine society today. Incompetence may be simple—such as simple negligence on bureaucratic delay—or it may be gross, as in inability to make sound and practical decisions. But, gross or not, incompetence slows down the progress of the nation and leads to waste of its resources and time. “Tested positive” for competence—or to put it the other way, “tested negative for incompetence”—is what all Filipino professionals and civil servants should be.

A further desirable outcome of the current pandemic would be the testing of the people of this country for capacity to observe discipline. Being disciplined is not the average Filipino’s strong suit; he is inclined to chafe at—and, when he can, circumvent—rules and regulations. Yet Filipinos bridle when foreigners say that there is no culture of discipline in this country. Yes, like the test for infection with the coronavirus, there should be testing for discipline so that the citizens of this country can be determined to be ‘tested positive’ or ‘tested negative’ in that regard.

A list of the tests that Filipinos ought to undergo when all the anti-coronavirus tests shall have been completed is a test for positiveness or negativeness vis-à-vis civic-mindedness. To the question “Are most Filipinos highly civic-minded?”, the correct answer would probably be No. The people of this country, generally speaking, are not highly civic-minded. Filipinos can, and do, show concern for the needs of their community or neighborhood; for matters relating to the nation, the level of concern is generally lower. The most significant demonstration of this at this time, surely, is the widespread defiance of the stay-at-home order issued by the government to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The development and progress of this country will proceed more rapidly and with greater stability if its citizens, especially leaders, “tested positive” for integrity, competence, discipline and civic-mindedness.