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Thursday, March 24, 2005
LGUs exempted from Palace ban on filling vacant posts
The policy not to fill vacant positions exempts local government units and is aimed only at helping agencies under the executive department save funds for projects.
Civil Service Commission (CSC) 7 Director David Cabanag Jr. said CSC and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) joint circular no. 3 exempts agencies that provide services President Arroyo wants prioritized.
These services include teaching positions, medical and allied services and those personnel needed to maintain peace and order.
“Health, education and security are services considered by Pres. Arroyo as vital to the advancement of the country,” Cabanag said.
With the exemption, Department of Education (DepEd) 7 Director Carolino Mordeno said they could still hire supervisors and personnel for the budget office, which are positions necessary for their operations.
“To comply with the austerity measures, we just have to do without some clerks for now,” Mordeno said.
DepEd 7 needs P7.054 billion for personal services for next year alone. It represents 69 percent of its P10.3-billion proposed budget.
Prohibition
The policy prohibits the filling up of positions that have been vacated by resignation, retirement, dismissal, death or transfer to another government agency.
However, Cabanag clarified that the policy is not a prelude to the implementation of Arroyo’s Executive Order 366 or the rationalization of government services program, which some fear may displace some 50,000 government workers and result in privatization of basic government services.
Cabanag assured the policy will not affect government services since they have determined from statistical data that many agencies have been operating with several positions not filled up.
Some of the tasks have also been delegated to other employees and public services did not suffer, he pointed out.
The prohibition also covers all regular positions in national government agencies under the executive branch, including state universities and colleges, government owned or controlled corporations, government financial institutions and other government corporate entities.
Excluded
It excludes teaching positions in schools under DepEd, Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, state universities and colleges and training institutions under different agencies.
It does not include as well positions for uniformed or military personnel under the departments of national defense, the interior and local government and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Positions in local water districts, medical and allied medical positions in hospitals, sanitaria and health infirmaria are also exempted from the ban.
Only medical personnel assigned in clinics of departments that cater only to employees are prohibited from being filled up.
Consultation
But Akbayan representatives and the Confederation of Independent Unions in the Public Sector are questioning the absence of consultations in the creation of the program and have asked Congress to look into the drafting of the implementing rules and regulations to protect government employees who will be affected in the streamlining.
Cabanag said, though, that the guidelines of the circular, which took effect last March 2, still provides certain exemptions since it will still allow agency heads to review their plantilla and determine what positions must be filled up.
However, they could only use up to 50 percent of their agency’s budgetary requirements for personal services. (CYR)
(March 24, 2005 issue)
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