MANILA - The government has placed a cap on the hiring of Contract of Service (COS) and Job Order (JO) workers to address the recurring issue of contractualization in the public sector.
In a news release on Thursday, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) said it has issued Joint Circular (JC) No. 1, series of 2025, together with the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). It prescribes revised guidelines on the engagement of COS and JO workers in government agencies.
Under the circular, agencies may continue to engage COS and JO workers, but shall not exceed the number of such personnel as of the end of 2025, effectively setting a ceiling on contractual hiring.
The issuance covers national government agencies, government-owned or -controlled corporations with original charters, state universities and colleges, and constitutional bodies. It excludes local government units and COS and JO workers paid from engineering and administrative overhead expenses.
The circular also directs agencies to review their staffing requirements, prepare optimization plans pursuant to the Government Optimization Act, and consider existing COS and JO workers for possible absorption into plantilla positions.
It further includes provisions on ancillary benefits, reportorial requirements, and the responsibilities of agency heads to help ensure the welfare of COS and JO workers.
JC No. 1, series of 2025, will take effect 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation and upon filing with the Office of the National Administrative Register at the University of the Philippines Law Center. (PNA)