Erosion of values challenges Capitol leadership to save what’s left of the good notion about government service.

In line with this, Gov. Edgar Chatto distinguished mere “earning a living” against “serving” while in government employment.

On Monday’s convocation, Chatto challenged Capitol employees to make sure each individual transacting with government would feel being served and government services are delivered fairly and in quality.

It would never be burden if service comes from the heart, according to Chatto.

Personnel of government institution should not be there just to earn a living, but to serve, he hinted.

Chatto shared his Harvard experience in studying governance where “the challenge is to narrow the gap of discontent with government and to lessen or remove dissatisfaction” which is true for both developed and developing nations.

He explained politics behind government decisions on priority policies and programs.

It was also during the convocation, that Human Resource Management and Development Office (HRMDO) Head under Jo Relampagos reported on the step-up for Bohol in the Civil Service Commission standard.

Bohol, under Chatto, had also been conferred top honor awards for Civil Service- -the Presidential Lingkod Bayan award in 2000, the Dangal ng Bayan award in 2011, and the Pag-asa award this year – all recognizing exemplary and outstanding public service.

Under Executive Order 292 or The Revised Administrative Code of 1987, the Civil Service Commission serves as the central personnel agency of the government.

EO 292 also provides that it is a State police to “establish a career service, adopt measures to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, and courtesy in the civil service”.

It also expressed that the government intends to “institutionalize a management climate conducive to public accountability”.

“Public office is a public trust and public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people,”as stated in EO 292 which provides for the general principles governing public officers.

On the other hand, Chatto had also started effort to project the provincial government as example in the fight against drug menace by causing random drug tests for employees.

Random drug tests for Capitol personnel started in July last year where the schedule will not be announced earlier and no one was allowed to request for a re-schedule to make it an effective means to rid the government institution of drug users.

It would be a surprise schedule so that drug users will not have time an opportunity to get away by merely abstain from their bad habit for a while in preparation for the test, so he or she would prove negative of drugs.

The provincial government is serious in the campaign against drug abuse, Chatto said.

The Provincial Health Office also opened the new drug testing center in July last year, affordable services for random drug tests of all the employees of the province, and even the private institutions who want to avail of their services.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan had recently approved a resolution calling all personnel of local government units and all government agencies in Bohol to undergo random drug tests to make sure no drug user or pusher gets into the organization.