GOVERNMENT AS FIRST ADAPTER OF ALL LAWS

GOVERNMENT AS FIRST ADAPTER OF ALL LAWS

I have a new movement in mind. For lack of a better term, I call it “Government As First Adapter” or GAFA. At its core is a very simple idea: practice what you preach. It sounds almost childish—like “show and tell” in kindergarten—but perhaps that is exactly what our governance needs today: simplicity, clarity, and sincerity.

It has always puzzled me why governments are very good at crafting laws, yet often lukewarm in enforcing them—especially on themselves. Passion in enforcement cannot be faked. It must be demonstrated. And the most convincing demonstration is leadership by example.

Take biofuels. We keep hearing about mandates for higher biodiesel blends, cleaner transport, and reduced emissions. My question is: why not start with all government vehicles? If every agency—from national departments down to barangay units—shifted to biofuels, the message would be unmistakable: “We believe in this enough to do it first.”

Or consider waste segregation. The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act has been in place for years, yet compliance remains uneven. Imagine if every government office strictly implemented segregation, composting, and recycling within their own premises. Before penalizing the public, shouldn’t the state first pass its own test?

To be fair, there are encouraging signs. Some Local Government Units have quietly become models of what I call “first adapters.” Pasig City, Quezon City, and Valenzuela City have demonstrated how the “No Wrong Door” policy can work in real life—where citizens are guided properly instead of being shuffled from one office to another. That is not just compliance; that is respect for the people.

On the national level, agencies like the Department of Budget and Management have taken steps toward digital procurement through PhilGEPS, promoting transparency in spending. Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Education have experimented with integrated databases and mobile communication systems—early steps toward what we now call M-Governance.

These are good starts, but they should not be exceptions. They should be the norm.

Why does this matter? Because laws are not just words on paper. They are social contracts. When the government follows its own rules, it earns moral authority. When it does not, the law begins to look like a weapon rather than a guide.

There is an old principle in governance: no one is above the law. But in practice, people will only believe this when they see it. If citizens notice that procurement rules are bent, transparency ignored, or environmental laws selectively applied, compliance drops. Trust erodes. Cynicism grows.

On the other hand, when the government becomes the first adapter, something powerful happens. The law becomes alive. It moves from theory to practice. It becomes credible.

Of course, there are obstacles. Bureaucracy is slow. Institutional inertia is real. And sometimes, governments hide behind doctrines like sovereign immunity. But these are not excuses—they are challenges to overcome.

So I ask: what if every new law came with a simple requirement—full implementation within government first, before nationwide enforcement? What if every agency campus became a living laboratory of reform?

GAFA may sound like a new acronym, but its spirit is as old as governance itself. If the government truly wants the people to follow the law, it must go first.

After all, leadership is not about issuing orders. It is about setting an example.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

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