The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has maintained its position as among the top government agencies with high approval and trust ratings, placing 9th in both categories according to a recent national survey.

CSC Chairperson Karlo Nograles thanked the transacting public and the 1.9 million civil servants in the country for their continued support of the agency’s plans and programs aimed at promoting efficient and effective human resource administration in the government.

“On behalf of the 1,300-strong employees of the CSC nationwide, I would like to express our gratitude for the trust and approval that the public has given us. Ang inyong tiwala ay magsisilbing inspirasyon upang aming patuloy na maihatid nang maayos ang mga napapanahong serbisyo at programa para sa mga kapwa lingkod bayan ng bansa,” he said.

Chairperson Nograles further noted that in 2023, the CSC rolled out human resource (HR) and organization development (OD) programs, systems, and processes, alongside the formulation of civil service rules and policies, all geared towards ensuring the smooth and efficient functioning of the bureaucracy in the post-pandemic era.

One of the major policies promulgated by the CSC is the Implementing Rules and Regulation on the Grant of Night Shift Differential Pay (NSDP) to Government Employees pursuant to Republic Act No. 11701. NSDP is a compensation premium or additional pay granted to qualified government employees who work during graveyard shifts or between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. of the following day. The guidelines were disseminated via the CSC-Department of Budget and Management-Governance Commission for GOCC Joint Circular No. 1, s. 2023.

The CSC also crafted a major policy in 2023 to recognize the workers in government who have been in the service for at least 10 years and have acquired relevant knowledge and skills but do not possess the appropriate civil service eligibility. Under CSC Resolution No. 2301123, or the Grant of Career Service Eligibility – Preference Rating (CSE-PR), which was promulgated on 07 December 2023, a Preference Rating of a maximum of 10 points shall be added to the failed rating range (70.00 to 79.99) to achieve the passing rate of 80.00 for qualified applicants in Career Service Examinations, thereby qualifying them for Career Service Professional or Subprofessional Eligibility.

Consistent with its mandate as the central HR agency of the Philippine government, the CSC surpassed last year’s targets in the effective implementation of its flagship program, which is the Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM).

In 2023, the CSC honored the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas with a Gold Award for attaining Maturity Level 4, or Strategic HR, in the four core areas of HR management. Additionally, 689 agencies received the Bronze Award for achieving a process-defined system. From 2022 to the first quarter of 2024, the PRIME-HRM initiative facilitated improvements in the maturity level of HR practices, systems, and competencies of 722 out of 3,401 agencies nationwide.

Chairperson Nograles also shared that the CSC went full steam in its digitization and digitalization efforts to further improve public service delivery with the full implementation of the Civil Service Eligibility Verification System (CSEVS) and the launch of the CSC-Learning Management System (LMS).

The CSEVS is an electronic database that allows authorized personnel to check the truthfulness and veracity of the civil service eligibility of individuals, as part of the process of attesting appointments submitted by the agencies. With the CSEVS, civil service eligible individuals may now access and take a screenshot of their eligibility information, and submit it as an official document in place of the authenticated copy of their Certificate of Eligibility. This reduces the cost and time spent on eligibility verification and authentication procedures.

Meanwhile, the newly launched CSC-LMS is an online learning and development platform that serves as a one-stop-shop for public servants who are vying to enhance their leadership and HR management skills. Through the CSC-LMS, civil servants may enroll in synchronous, asynchronous, and blended e-learning courses anytime, anywhere.

For 2023, the CSC administered four eligibility examinations, namely: the Civil Service Examination – Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT) for Professional and Subprofessional levels conducted on 23 March and 20 August 2023; the 05 February 2023 CSE for Foreign Service Officer (CSE-FSO); and the 11 June 2023 Basic Competency on Local Treasury Exam (BCLTE). With 726,801 examinees for the March and August CSE-PPT, the CSC reached a remarkable increase in participants taking the CSE-PPT in just one calendar year.

“The CSC is pleased to present several notable accomplishments in 2023 that have garnered people’s trust and approval. We commit to remain steadfast in doing our work effectively and efficiently hanggang sa sama-sama nating makamit ang pangarap ng bawat Pilipino — ang Matatag, Maginhawa at Panatag na Buhay,” said Chairperson Nograles.

The survey on the Approval and Trust Ratings of the Top Ten Government Agencies was conducted by Publicus Asia from 14 to 18 March 2024 for its “Pahayag 2024 First Quarter Survey,” with 1,500 respondents nationwide.