Padilla seeks civil service eligibility for casual, contractual gov't employees

Casual or contractual workers who have been working for at least five years in the government will have a chance to become regular employees and avail of the corresponding benefits in case Senate Bill (SB) No. 234 is enacted into law.

Filed by Senator Robinhood Padilla, SB 234 will grant civil service eligibility under certain conditions to government employees appointed under casual or contractual service in the career service.

“It is high time that we grant eligibility to our committed casual or contractual employees of the government in order to open opportunities for higher salaried positions, boost their morale and keep them motivated, and enhance their productivity to the benefit of the public,” said Padilla in his bill.

“For the longest time, the government has gained notoriety for denying its employees opportunities to be regularized,” he added.

Citing data from the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Padilla said 660,390 out of 2.4 million government employees since 2017 are under “job order” or “contract of service” status.”

“Most of our casual or contractual government employees cannot seek regular employment because they are not civil service eligible,” Padilla said.

The neophyte senator said there have been special laws, regulations and orders authorizing the CSC to grant eligibility to “qualified individuals.”

These include bar/board eligibility, barangay health worker eligibility, barangay nutrition, scholar eligibility, barangay official eligibility, electronic data processing specialist eligibility, foreign school honor graduate eligibility, honor graduate eligibility, Sanggunian member eligibility, scientific and technological specialist eligibility, Skills Eligibility Category II, and Veteran Preference Rating, he said.

Under SB No. 234, casual or contractual employees can avail of the benefit upon meeting certain requirements.

Among them are the submission of a certificate of no pending administrative case and no conviction for any offense or crime involving “moral turpitude, disgraceful or immoral conduct, dishonesty, examination irregularity, drunkenness or addiction to drugs.”

They should also not have been dishonorably discharged from the military service or dismissed for cause from any civilian position in the government.

Covered by the bill are casual or contractual employees occupying first level career civil service positions in the clerical, trades and custodial service involving non-professional or sub-professional work in a non-supervisory or supervisory capacity. —KBK, GMA News