EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )

Second Regular Session ) DATE
TIME
SENATE
NCHbX
P.S. Res. No. 562

Introduced by SENATOR RAMON BONG REVILLA, JR.

RESOLUTION
DIRECTING THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON CIVIL SERVICE, GOVERNMENT
REORGANIZATION AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION TO CONDUCT AN
INQUIRY, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE LOW PASSING RATE IN THE
CAREER SERVICE PROFESSIONAL AND SUBPROFESSIONAL
EXAMINATIONS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION (CSC)

1 WHEREAS, the Philippine Constitution provides under Article IX (B), Section 2

2 (2) that, "Appointments in the civil service shall be made only according to merit and
3 fitness to be determined, as far as practicable, and, except to positions which are
4 policy-determining, primarily confidential, or highly technical, by competitive
5 examination";
6 WHEREAS, consistent with this. Executive Order No. 292 or the Administrative
7 Code of 1987 provides that the Career Service shall be characterized by, among
8 others, "entrance based on merit and fitness to be determined as far as practicable
9 by competitive examination";
10 WHEREAS, the Administrative Code of 1987 also stipulates that competitive
11 examinations shall be the means for the entrance to first level positions in the career
12 service or those positions which include "clerical, trades, crafts, and custodial service
13 positions which involve non-professional or subprofessional work in a non-supervisory
14 or supervisory capacity requiring less than four years of collegiate studies", and second
15 level positions or those which include "professional, technical and scientific positions
16 which involve professional, technical or scientific work in a non-supervisory or
 1 supervisory capacity requiring at least four years of college work up to Division Chief
2 level";
3 WHEREAS, under Book V, Title I, Subtitle A, Chapter 3, Section 12 of the
4 Administrative Code of 1987, the Civil Service Commission (CSC), as the central
5 personnel agency of the government, is mandated to "control, supervise and
6 coordinate Civil Service examinations" and "prescribe all forms of Civil Service
7 examinations, appointments, report, and such other forms as may be required by law,
8 rules and regulations";
9 WHEREAS, CSC has been administering the Career Service Examinations (CSE)
10 since 1900 to test the general ability of the applicant and to measure his or her
11 preparedness to enter government service;
12 WHEREAS, the Office for Recruitment, Examination and Placement Is tasked by
13 virtue of Book V, Title I, Subtitle A, Chapter 3, Section 16 of the Administrative Code
14 of 1987 to "provide leadership and assistance in developing and implementing the
15 overall Commission programs relating to recruitment, examination and placement, and
16 formulate policies, standards, rules and regulations for the proper Implementation of
17 the Commission examination and placement programs";
18 WHEREAS, there are two (2) levels of civil service eligibility namely. Professional
19 and Sub-Professional levels;
20 WHEREAS, the Professional eligibility is a requirement for appointment to first
21 and second level positions in the government while the Sub-Professional eligibility is a
22 requirement for appointment to first level positions in the government;
23 WHEREAS, by virtue of various laws and issuances, civil service eligibility is
24 granted to certain groups without the need to take the CSE and these are Bar/Board
25 Eligibility (Republic Act No. 1080), Barangay Health Worker Eligibility (Republic Act No.
26 7883), Barangay Nutrition Scholar Eligibility (Presidential Decree No. 1569), Barangay
27 Official Eligibility (Republic Act No. 7160), Electronic Data Processing Specialist
28 Eligibility (CSC Res. 90-083), Foreign School Honor Graduate Eligibility (CSC Res.
29 1302714), Honor Graduate Eligibility (Presidential Decree No. 907), Sanggunian
30 Member Eligibility (Republic Act No. 10156), Scientific and Technological Specialist
31 Eligibility (Presidential Decree No. 997), Skills Eligibility - Category II (CSC MC 11, s.
32 1996, as amended), and Veteran Preference Rating (Executive Order 132/790);
 1 WHEREAS, currently, there are two (2) modes of conduct of the CSE namely,
2 Pen and Paper Test (PPT) and Computerized Examination (COMEX);
3 WHEREAS, the scope of examination for Professional eligibility tests the verbal,
4 numerical, and analytical abilities of the examinee and includes questions on Philippine
5 Constitution, Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for
6 Public Officials and Employees, peace and human rights issues and concepts, and
7 environment management and protection;
8 WHEREAS, on the other hand, the scope of examination for Sub-Professional
9 eligibility is similar to that for Professional eligibility except that it tests the clerical
10 abilities of the examinee instead of his or her analytical abilities;
11 WHEREAS, the passing grade for both examinations is 80%;
12 WHEREAS, only around 10-12% of the examinees pass the CSE;
13 WHEREAS, this passing rate is lower than that of the other eligibility exams,
14 and even those of board and bar exams;
15 WHEREAS, in 2018, for instance, the passing rate for the Professional eligibility
16 exams conducted on August is only 12.25% and that for the Sub-Professional level is
17 only 11.35%;
18 WHEREAS, meanwhile, the passing rate for Fire Officer Examination conducted
19 on June 2018 is 16.84% and that for Penology Officer Examination conducted on the
20 same date is 16.87%;
21 WHEREAS, the CSE passing rate is even lower than the other licensure exams
22 conducted also in 2018, where the passing rate for Bar Examinations is 22.07% and
23 the average national passing percentage for the examinations conducted by the
24 Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) is 37.97%, with 26.73% in the licensure
25 exams for Accountancy, 90.81% in Dental Medicine, 21.77% in Licensure Exam for
26 Teachers (LET)-Elementary, 41.46% in LET-Secondary, 75.89% in Medical
27 Technology, 77.95% in Medicine, 41.92% in Nursing, and 63.60% in Pharmacy;
28 WHEREAS, included among the examinees who fail to pass the CSE are the
29 personnel who are already working in different government agencies and entities on
30 various employment status including those hired under job order or contract of
31 service;
 1 WHEREAS, a considerable number of these personnel even took the exams
2 several times In the hope of being conferred with the eligibility that they aspire, but
3 still failed;
4 WHEREAS, most of them have been in the service for many years and have
5 already proven their competence in government service but still cannot qualify for
6 permanent position because of lack of civil service eligibility;
7 WHEREAS, such case gives them the perception that CSE is more of a deterrent
8 than a gateway to their career development and acquisition of security of tenure;
9 WHEREAS, there are also observations that the questions in the exams are
10 Irrelevant to the position they are applying for;
11 WHEREAS, there is a need to analyze the low passing rate of the CSE and
12 identify the factors that contribute to it;
13 WHEREAS, this will be helpful in assessing if the CSE remains faithful to its
14 purpose of identifying the merit and fitness of examinees without necessarily
15 disenfranchising those who are truly eligible and qualified;
16 Now, therefore, be it
17 RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, as it is hereby resolved. To direct the Senate
18 Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation
19 to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the low passing rate in the Career Service
20 Professional and Sub-Professional Examinations of the Civil Service Commission CSC)
21 Adopted,

RAMO^ONG REVILLA, JR.