Vol 25(4): 481–510. DOI: 10.1177/0169796X0902500404 Systemic Corruption and the Programme on Basic Education in the Philippine

This article contextualizes corruption and implementation as it occurs in the Philippine Department of Education (DepEd). Described as a national agency suffering from ‘systemic corruption’, an in-depth qualitative case study analysis of one of its programmes is imperative. The Programme on Basic Education (PROBE) hailed as a success and which has managed to be relatively free from corrupt activities is the focus. Providing fi ndings from a study undertaken on PROBE participants from the three main islands of the Philippines, this article analyzes the various organizational factors that have an impact on the prevalence and absence of corruption and the enabling and disabling elements of successful implementation