House Bill to Make Long-time Government Employees Civil Service Eligible in the Philippines

House Deputy Minority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera has filed a bill to grant long-time government employees civil service eligibility. 

Under House Bill (HB) 1387, government workers covered are those holding contractual positions in the first and second levels who have rendered at least five consecutive years of service.

Herrera noted that the bill seeks to lessen labor contractualization in the government. 

Herrera stated, “The government should set an example as a good employer by aiming towards ending labor contractualization, also known as end-of-contract or endo, in the bureaucracy. It can start by granting civil service eligibility to qualified casual or contractual workers who cannot seek regular employment because they are not civil service eligible.”

Herrera explained that granting regularity to workers would serve as “an incentive toward more productive work, investing in one’s job, and taking on a longer-term view at one’s career advancement.”

Moreover, she cited, “Considering the services they extend in all government offices vis-a-vis the insufficient benefits and privileges accorded the casual and contractual employees, the government should grant these dedicated employees who have rendered efficient service in the bureaucracy an opportunity to obtain their civil service eligibility.”

Data from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) showed that in 2017, there were around 2.4 million government employees. Of this number, over 660,000 were hired as casual workers.

However, the bill also clarifies that the covered employees “shall not be entitled to any promotion unless they obtain the appropriate eligibility requirement for that position.”