The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has launched its education campaign dubbed “WE PROTECT” (We Establish Public Responsibility Outcomes through Enforcement, Collaboration and Transformation) to instill the anti-corruption mentality among the youth.
Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires said a good and proper education is the key to eliminating corruption in the country.
“WE PROTECT” was launched in Pangasinan in Luzon and in Calbayog City in the Visayas “for the ethically precocious young population,” Martires said.
In a statement, the OMB said the key message of the campaign is hinged on one's spirituality: "Ang taong may takot sa Diyos ay hindi gagawa ng masama. Ang korapsyon ay masama. (A person who fears the Lord will not do anything bad. Corruption is bad."
"We believe that by nurturing an anti-corruption attitude at an early age, the future generation will be armed with this anti-corruption stance and advocacy when they grow up as professionals and leaders of the nation," Martires, a retired Supreme Court associate justice, stressed.
The OMB statement said the roll-out of the campaign in Pangasinan started in Lingayen, with town officials pledging their commitment to disseminate the content and theme of the information, education, and communication (IEC) materials for each of their 32 barangays.
Aside from Lingayen, it said, even the municipalities of Agno, Burgos, Sual, Dasol, Infanta, and Mabini have agreed to become the OMB’s partners in its anti-corruption campaign.
The churches of St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish (Agno) and the Immaculate Conception Parish (Bani) have likewise agreed to help educate the youth against the pitfalls of corruption, it added.
In Calbayog City, the OMB said the Liga ng mga Barangay of Calbayog City led by Councilor Ariel Rosales has championed the education campaign and has already displayed the IEC materials in strategic areas.