RIYADH, 15 July 2007 — A new website has been designed to feature overseas Filipino public servants with the aim of instilling the value of “servant leadership” particularly on the younger generation.
Designed by a group of Filipinos based in Riyadh, anginyonglingkod.com is a wiki-style website open to everyone who has a public servant in mind to write about.
“The website aims to instill in the minds of the young generation the concept of servant leadership, which can be traced back to a biblical teaching about serving without asking for anything in return,” said Joseph Espiritu, a telecom engineer and one of the creators of the site.
According to the site’s introduction, the concept of servant leadership emphasizes on a leader’s role as steward of the resources (human, financial, etc.) provided by the organization and encourages leaders to serve others while staying focused on achieving results in line with the organization’s values and integrity.
Espiritu said the featured public servants can become members of the site, which also aims to start an online community of public servants and future leaders. The site allots a page with profiles and photos of public servants, individuals or groups worth writing about.
“They may come from government or non-government organizations as long they serve the people without asking for something in return,” said Espiritu, who explained that his fellow creators of anginyonglingkod.com are “advocates of good governance, transparency and accountability in public office.”
The other makers of the site are Noel Nuñez, Arnel Codera, Enrico Monsanto and Joey Beltran, mostly telecom engineers who are themselves community servants in their own right.
Espiritu himself is the developer of OFW-SOS helpline, a 24/7 mechanism that may be availed of by Overseas Filipino Workers, anytime, anywhere around the world, to report cases of abuse and to request for assistance from government or non-government organizations by means of sending short messaging system (SMS) or text message to 00639-2096-39767.
Espiritu said they hope to turn anginyonglingkod.com into a popular source of credible information.
“Anything you need to know about your public servants would be readily available and you are assured that it is an authoritative source,” he said Espiritu.
One of the first inductees of anginyonglingkod.com is Abdulghani Kusain Umag, the newest in the first batch of featured “servant leaders.”
Umag arrived on Sept. 6, 2006 as welfare officer of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh. Community groups who are active in helping distressed OFWs in the capital city noted that barely two months with the POLO and in his capacity as acting labor attaché in December, he settled the problem of about 67 workers who were not paid their salary for 3 months.
Asked for comment on the recognition, Umag said, “Napakahalaga sa akin bilang isang kawani ng gobyerno sapagka’t ito ang award na hindi nagmumula sa aming tanggapan (It’s an honor especially that it comes from an organization outside of government.”
The other inductees include “Bagong Bayani” awardee Alexander E. Asuncion, who wrote and “simplified” primary provisions of the Saudi Labor and Workmen Law so that fellow migrant workers could comprehend what it says; Ronnie Abeto of the Pusong Mamon Task Force and described by one grateful distressed OFW as a “true picture of a Bagong Bayani;” Tom Lauson, a consular attaché assigned to the Philippine Embassy’s Assistance to Nationals Section (ANS); and advocacy groups such as the Pusong Mamon Task Force, Juan!, and the Manila-based Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) led by Ellen Sana.
Another inductee is Salahuddin Unda, a case officer of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Riyadh, who has helped many Filipino migrant workers in their disputes with their employers.
Espiritu said that the idea of bestowing certificates of recognition to responsible government officials was inspired by Unda’s invaluable service to distressed OFWs.
The website also invites anyone who can write or who wants to write.
“As long one has a passion in writing, surely, he or she will learn a lot of writing styles by joining this wiki-inspired website. That’s why the site itself and articles can also be edited,” Espiritu said.
