SINCE 1970, I‘ve had the privilege of working mostly in the private sector and civil society, in the government, and as a citizen-soldier. In those roles, I learned that leadership is tested not by the authority one holds, but by the decisions made and the results delivered.
My central message is straightforward: Good governance must do more than deliver services. It must build institutions and communities capable of anticipating risks, withstanding crises, adapting and recovering.
Let me share five lessons from my experience.
1. Leadership begins with personal example.
People watch what leaders say and do. If leaders tolerate dishonesty, favoritism, or incompetence, these practices spread. If they follow the rules, demand performance and accept responsibility, those standards can take root.
As Secretary of Tourism, I set the tone by clamping down on touristrelated crimes, closed down notorious tourist destinations, pursued swift action against corrupt officials and employees. I preserved Camp John Hay despite the skepticism.
The restoration of Corregidor and the Tourism Development Master Plan were completed during my term.
I also dealt with visitor safety and security, addressing life-and-death situations during the 1989 coup attempt, the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, and the Baguio earthquake. I strove to uphold the national interest as the first government spokesman for the PH-US bases talks.
As secretary of the Interior and Local Government, I oversaw implementation of the Local Government Code and the new PNP Law; pursued police reform; and directly addressed organized crime, insurgency, terrorism and peace negotiations without fear or favor.
Discipline and professional standards were major goals. Reforms called for the early retirement of more than 67 generals and colonels, apart from nearly 3,000 more police personnel in succeeding years; improved police visibility; recalled moonlighting personnel serving as bodyguards for local officials; and launched a religious sector-led moral recovery program.
In the military, I was responsible for the unit’s mission, the welfare of the personnel under my command, and the consequences of decisions.
In business, I protected the institution’s long-term interests and resisted unethical decisions that endangered the organization and its stakeholders.
The test is the same for everyone in authority: I applied to myself the standards I imposed on others. Rank and position increase command responsibility; they don’t excuse failure.
2. Accountability must be built into the institution.
We can’t rely solely on individual honesty. We need systems that make misconduct difficult, quickly detect anomalies, and apply guardrails, i.e., transparent procurement, credible audits, clear lines of responsibility, competence, effective oversight and consistent enforcement.
Accountability must be independent of political influence and personal bias.
When a mission fails, immediately establish why with empirical evidence.
When public funds are misused, immediately investigate with due process and impose appropriate sanctions.
When an agency repeatedly underperforms, be quick to examine its leadership, systems, resources and standards.
3. Public service values must produce measurable results.
Judge the government by what is actually experienced through practical tests of governance.
Government needs clear objectives, performance standards, effective controls and measurable results. But its purpose goes beyond financial returns. It must protect public welfare, justice, security and fair access to services and opportunities.
Values must translate into observable behavior. Integrity means honest transactions and transparent decisions. Competence means being able to do the job. Accountability means accepting responsibility for results.
Social responsibility means considering how decisions affect people, particularly those most at risk.
4. Resilience must become a core measure of desired performance.
My experience with crises — from earthquakes, political upheavals, and coup attempts to economic shocks, security operations, and peace negotiations — taught me that readiness cannot be improvised when disaster strikes.
Total resilience is national security.
Preparedness is key. It requires psychological preparation, training, planning, organization, coordination, communication and people ready to act.
National and local governments must incorporate resilience into their policies, plans, programs and budgets. We need honest risk assessments and resources allocated according to actual risks.
Businesses need continuity and recovery plans. Schools must prepare for emergencies while sustaining learning. Families must understand their responsibilities.
In a major crisis, the government will be disrupted, disoriented and delayed in regrouping and redeploying.
In the interregnum, communities will be on their own to help themselves until assistance arrives.
Threats are not only natural disasters like extreme weather, megaquakes and pandemics but also human-induced, such as China’s global gray zone tactics and the hot conflicts in Europe and in the Middle East that produce cascading risks Resilience must be tested and the findings reflected in performance reviews, budget decisions and transparent reporting. Institutions become resilient when they recognize weaknesses, learn from experience and take corrective action.
A prepared nation is harder to intimidate, destabilize, control and defeat.
5. Trust is earned through consistency.
Trust requires honesty: telling the truth, admitting shortcomings, correcting mistakes, and delivering public benefits.
Public trust grows when government is competent, fair and reliable. They need institutions that anticipate risk and prepare before disasters strike.
Consistent performance gives citizens reason to cooperate with one another and with government. That cooperation strengthens society’s ability to withstand shocks.
In conclusion, integrity and credibility are everything.
Ethical leadership, institutional accountability and resilience reinforce one another. Ethical leaders establish standards. Transparent and accountable institutions enforce them. Resilient systems translate those standards into sustained public protection and reliable performance.
For all of us who’ve held positions of authority, it’s a reminder that leadership is measured by what we build, how we serve, and whether the people and institutions entrusted to us are better prepared for the future.
Values must shape decisions.
Decisions must produce results.
Institutions must learn and improve. That’s how ethical leadership becomes accountable governance, how accountable governance builds resilience, and how integrity gains and sustains public trust.
Finally, when human efforts reach a dead end, just let go and let God. He always answers prayers that sincerely seek concrete solutions for the common good.
Rafael M. Alunan III is chairman of the board of Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc.; a governor of the Management Association of the Philippines; and a fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Institute for Solidarity in Asia.
