The Civil Service Commission (CSC) kicked off the celebration of the 124th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary (PCSA) slated for September with a press conference at the Philippine Information Agency in Visayas Avenue, Quezon City.
The CSC is spearheading the 124th PCSA pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 1050, series of 1997, which was signed by the late President Fidel V. Ramos, declaring the month of September as Civil Service Month.
This is also in observance of the establishment of the Philippine Civil Service by virtue of Public Law No. 5 (An Act for the Establishment and Maintenance of an Efficient and Honest Civil Service in the Philippine Islands), enacted on 19 September 1900.
CSC Chairperson Karlo Nograles, alongside CSC Commissioners Aileen Lourdes Lizada and Ryan Alvin Acosta, led the 124th PCSA conference.
During the event, they informed the public and media representatives about the activities planned for the month-long celebration for the entire government workforce.
“The entire civil service, comprising 1.9 million government workers, celebrates its 124th anniversary this year.”
“The entire civil service, comprising 1.9 million government workers, celebrates its 124th anniversary this year. In 2021, the CSC adopted a decade-long theme, which is ‘Transforming Public Service in the Next Decade: Honing Agile and Future-Ready Servant-Heroes.’ This year, we are focusing on the significance of sustainable management in creating a future-ready civil service,” Lizada said while introducing the PCSA celebration.
She added that the celebration aims to build a forward-thinking public sector that balances organizational performance with economic, environmental, and social impacts. This also aligns with the aspirations and goals of the AmBisyon Natin 2040, which envisions a stable and comfortable life for Filipinos, supported by a clean, efficient, and fair government.
In line with the theme, the press conference featured a panel discussion featuring public sector experts on sustainable management in government.
Nograles discussed sustainable management through digital transformation, underscoring the need to use online modes of service delivery and equipping our human capital with the skills necessary to adapt to new technologies.
“Sustainable management is essential in ensuring public service continuity in times of crisis and public health emergencies, as well as to ensure the realization of a future-ready civil service,” the CSC chief said.
“The end-in-mind is to have a future-ready and people-centric civil service, ready to provide the public with vital services no matter the circumstance, and to live up to the mantra of the CSC of ‘gawing lingkod bayani ang bawat kawani’,” he added.
University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration Dean Kristoffer Berse shared insights on the role of Good Governance in Sustainable Development Program, emphasizing its importance in developing an effective government with a democratic system.
Meanwhile, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Emilio Aquino shared best practices in sustainability and good governance initiatives that enabled the agency to bag the sixth and seventh Global Good Governance (3G) Awards from Cambridge International Finance Advisory.
On the other hand, Department of Budget and Management Assistant Secretary Leonido Pulido III provided updates on the National Government Rightsizing Program, which aims to streamline national government agencies through regularization, merging, restructuring, abolition, or transfer of government agencies to create a more efficient bureaucracy.
Acosta concluded the launch by noting that the best practices shared during the panel discussion can help other government agencies contribute to the collective goal of AmBisyon Natin 2040.
“The collective commitment of all agencies of the government is integral to building a sustainable public sector.”
“The collective commitment of all agencies of the government is integral to building a sustainable public sector that considers social, environmental, and long-term oriented sustainability. May this conference and the celebration in September remind us of the vital role that our 1.9 million civil servants play in pursuing sustainable management capable of meeting the challenges of tomorrow while serving the needs of today,” he said.
For updates on the 124th PCSA and schedule of events, visit the PCSA microsite atwww.csc.gov.ph/pcsa2024.
