CSC lays out plans for 2024 at budget hearing
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00:00 Regarding the budget hearing of the Civil Service Commission,
00:03 the agency laid down its various plans they hope to fulfill next year
00:06 as they requested for more allocations for its programs.
00:10 Karin Villanda tells us more.
00:12 At the budget hearing of the House Appropriations Committee
00:18 for the proposed Civil Service Commission 2024 outlay,
00:22 the agency laid out its plans
00:24 to include the use of laptops in civil service examinations
00:28 just like in bar exams.
00:30 The CSC is also targeting to increase to 500,000
00:34 the number of those taking the CSC eligibility exams next year.
00:38 We benchmarked, we benchmarked in the Supreme Court
00:42 in taking bar exams.
00:44 So because of that, we were inspired that this is still possible.
00:47 So it's just a matter of finding the correct provider
00:51 that will not damage the integrity
00:54 or will not question the integrity of the exams.
00:56 And if we can assure a provider that it can do this,
01:00 then we can pattern it with what the Supreme Court does.
01:03 Just like that, in the Supreme Court,
01:04 you know that bar exams are once every year.
01:07 So we need to find a provider that will do it every day,
01:11 regularly, Monday to Friday.
01:13 CSC targets to complete this next year
01:16 if the request for an additional budget of P100 million for 2024 is met.
01:22 The initially proposed budget of the CSC was over P3 billion,
01:26 but was sloshed to over P2 billion
01:29 upon recommendation from the Department of Budget and Management.
01:32 But in the middle of the hearing,
01:34 the issue of 200,000 vacant plantelia positions in the government,
01:38 most of which are in LGUs, was raised.
01:41 I'm asking, is this for current year 2023, 2022,
01:47 or is that a long-standing problem, unfilled positions?
01:51 Well, there's always been that challenge
01:55 that there are still unfilled positions.
02:00 Especially during the change of administration,
02:05 after election, things like that can factor in also.
02:10 Because remember, this also includes local government units.
02:14 To solve this, the CSC also plans to have
02:17 a permanent human resource management officer, particularly in LGUs.
02:22 It's not different.
02:24 There will be a permanency of those officers and offices in each local government unit.
02:30 So there won't be any confusion in the procedures of hiring,
02:38 publishing, and filling up vacancies.
02:41 Because sometimes the tendency is,
02:44 when the new administration replaces the local government units,
02:50 it replaces the person.
02:51 So it's a learning curve.
02:54 The new HR officer needs to learn the procedures in civil service,
03:00 how to publish vacancies, how to hire, what are the requirements.
03:04 Overall, the House Committee on Appropriations supports the agency's request
03:08 for increased funding in their 2024 budget.
03:12 In fact, I already filed that House Bill, Mr. Chair,
03:15 for the information of the Civil Service Commission, House Bill No. 7378.
03:20 So I fully support and commend.
03:22 And therefore, I also will ask Congressman Zelde,
03:26 as the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations,
03:29 to move for the increase of the budget of the Civil Service Commission.
03:32 Thank you.
03:33 Karen Vallanda for the Nation.