Today, I take a respite from writing about current events and issues. Instead, I will reflect on government service as a vocation.

After more than a decade of working in private organizations – in a bank, a holding company, and a transportation company – I decided to avail myself of opportunities to serve in government, thanks to a work leave privilege extended by my employer and alma mater, the Asian Institute of Management.

I served briefly in the Department of Agrarian Reform, upon the invitation of then Secretary Miriam Defensor Santiago, then opted to transfer to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) when she left office. Moreover, I was privileged to serve in the Office of the President twice: first, under President Corazon C. Aquino, then with her son, President Benigno S. Aquino III.

In all my stints in public service, writing and public speaking were important daily responsibilities. Dealing with different stakeholders involved being able to respond to their needs and wants — and this could be achieved only by taking time to understand their situation.

Let me focus on my service with President Noynoy Aquino, as this was my longest stint, having served for the entire duration of his six-year term of office from 2010 to 2016. The work of the President – and the rest of government – is chronicled daily by the mass media. We relied heavily on the working press to convey the rationale to convey the rationale for salient government policies and programs.

With the emergence of digital technology, mass communication has changed tremendously. Legacy media – as exemplified by the printed newspaper and live radio broadcasting – has been relegated to the background. People now rely on their cellular phones and other digital devices, more than reading books or tuning in to their erstwhile favorite radio or TV channels.

Separating the proverbial chaff from grain, and discerning what’s factually true from what is being peddled as fake news is not an easy chore. In this day and age, peddling fake news has become part of the tool kit of traditional politicians. Hence, my fellow Baby Boomers and I are now compelled to seek guidance from tech-savvy children and grandchildren to help us sort things out.

How are government officials today helped – or harmed – by the power of digital media?

In the past, when legacy media ruled the day, the government of the day had to stay focused and ensure consistency of its messaging. Presently, the imperative is the same, with the added burden of needing strong political will to overcome the vagaries of negativism being spread by the denizens of disinformation and fake news.

Even If a public servant takes the high ground and avows fidelity to truth, reason and justice, such a noble posture would not provide adequate safety or comfort from the tribulations inflicted by their adversaries.

Let me cite a concrete example. Long after former President Aquino stepped down in 2016, the justice department ordered investigations and filed charges against Aquino and former health officials for allegedly rushing the procurement and rolling out the Dengvaxia vaccine to hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren.

The former president, in his defense, said that “…there has been no categorical finding by medical experts that the dengue vaccine has directly caused the deaths of vaccinated children. At the time of the funding approval, there was no evidence adduced by the experts that the vaccine was not safe and effective.”

Affirming that the Dengvaxia program underwent proper procurement process, he pointed out further: “There has not been any definitive finding by any court, tribunal or fact-finding body as to whether the deaths suffered were directly attributable to the vaccine,” he noted. Aquino said the program was above board, and effectively addressed the increasing threat of the disease.

In 2023, two years after former President Aquino’s death, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed in 2017 by the women’s group Gabriela and more than 70 children who sought to compel the government to address the health risks posed by the controversial Dengvaxia dengue vaccine. The High Court said that it did not find “any serious or systematic inability” of respondents in the performance of their duties. It said in its ruling:

“Considering that these are agencies possessing the technical knowledge and specialization in their fields, the judgments of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the DOH are given significant weight and should not be impulsively disturbed.”

It noted further that when the vaccine was approved by the FDA, “there (was) a reasonable presumption that the approval is based on science and the subsequent recommendation by the DOH enjoys a presumption of constitutionality.”

Such are the vagaries and downsides of serving in government. Yet, when I look back and reflect, I maintain that it was a singular opportunity to have worked and served with President Noynoy Aquino. Indeed, it was a fitting capstone to my several stints in government service that taught me valuable lessons in perseverance, resilience and humility.