Civil service eligibility eyed for long-serving govt employees

MANILA, Philippines - Government employees who served continuously for at least six years may automatically get civil service eligibility, once a bill pending in the House of Representatives is passed into law. House Bill 5855 seeks to cover casual, contractual or co-terminus government employees who have rendered a total of six years of continuous government service. "These employees deserve to receive the same benefits granted to all government employees holding permanent positions," author Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson said in a press statement on the House of Representatives website. He said casual, contractual and co-terminus employees deliver the same amount of efficiency, loyalty and dedication to government service as permanent employees do. Because of this, he said "there is no reason to discriminate them and exclude them from the principle of equal protection of laws." The bill aims to grant sub-professional Civil Service eligibility to employees who have completed at least two years of education or of a technical course, or have completed at least 72 units in college. It also seeks a professional Civil Service eligibility to employees with a four-year college degree. Singson said the present civil service law, Republic Act 6850, was enacted in 1990 granting civil service eligibility to all government employees holding career civil service positions appointed under provisional or temporary status who have rendered at least a total of seven years of efficient service. "Unfortunately, casual, contractual and co-terminus employees were not included from the opportunity to acquire permanent status," Singson said. "This law proves that acquired experience is a valid and legal substitute to civil service eligibility," he added. - GMANews.TV