MANY traditional families aspire for their children to become professionals in their chosen field. There is a certain prestige that comes with attaching a title to one’s name – doctor, for instance, or attorney, or CPA, or engineer.
More than optics, however, there is a deeper reason some professions are held in higher regard than others. Through years of formal education, review and licensure examination, not to mention actual experience gained on the job, these professionals show their commitment, diligence, and expertise.
We trust only doctors, then, to prescribe medicine or perform surgeries; we depend on lawyers to tell us whether something complies with or violates the law. Accountants determine whether a business is spending too much or making a profit.
Engineers assure the public that structures – buildings, or bridges, or flood control projects – are sound, will not cause harm, and will not be a waste of taxpayers’ money. Unfortunately, watching the recent congressional hearings has reminded us that integrity does not always attend the prestige of the profession.
Tacit acknowledgment of wrongdoing at local government offices is one thing; suspicions are raised in hushed tones or blind allusions. Eyebrows may shoot up at the sight of an expensive watch or flashy car at the parking area. There is plenty of room for speculation.
But when the engineers, such as those from the Bulacan District Engineering Office, admit that yes, they drive luxury cars, play at casinos, use a fake ID to disguise their employment with government – we wonder whether the lure of money was so great they have forgotten the hard work they put in just so they could become engineers.
The best proof is the utter uselessness or superfluity of some flood control projects, if they even exist in the first place.
And if we believed it is only the Bulacan engineers that have done harm, or that only flood control projects have been tampered with, we would be gravely mistaken.
It is our hope that these recent revelations will expose the widespread practice of using supposed expertise not to assess and ensure the soundness of structures but to give a pass to substandard work for monetary consideration. It’s an insult to the real professionals who toil and earn their keep honestly.
