Civil Service Commission Chairperson Karlo Nograles was recently conferred the Gawad Lagablab Award for Government Service, a distinction given to alumni of the Philippine Science Highschool (PSHS) for their achievements in scientific research, the practice of their profession, and public service.
In his acceptance remarks, Nograles, who graduated from PSHS in 1993, offered the honor “back to our beloved alma mater, the Philippine Science High School.”
“My years in Pisay have greatly shaped my discipline—who I am as a person—and I will always be grateful for the privilege of being a scholar.”
Under the stewardship of Nograles, the CSC has been focusing on enhancing the skills of civil servants at all levels. The commission in particular has been pursuing digital initiatives, including the procurement of digital examination programs that are set to launch this year.
The lawyer and public servant also said that he was sharing the award “with all the civil servants whom I have had the honor of working with.”
Prior to his appointment as head of the CSC, Nograles, who obtained both his bachelor’s degree in Management Engineering and his law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University, served three terms as representative of the first district of Davao City, and later Cabinet Secretary.
In Congress the father of three was instrumental in passing significant laws such as the Green Jobs Act, the JobStart Philippines Act, and the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which provides for free tuition in state and local universities and colleges in the Philippines.
As Cabinet Secretary, Nograles led the Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger and co-chaired the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, which oversaw the government’s response efforts. He also served as Spokesperson for the IATF conducting daily press and public briefings on government pandemic advisories, response and updates.
Under the stewardship of Nograles, the CSC has been focusing on enhancing the skills of civil servants at all levels. The commission in particular has been pursuing digital initiatives, including the procurement of digital examination programs that are set to launch this year.
The CSC also launched the e-Learning Management System (eLMS), where its Learning and Development (L&D) Interventions can be accessed. The eLMS serves as a one-stop-shop for public servants who are seek to enhance their leadership and management skills.
It is also working on a Human Resource Information System, which the CSC will implement together with the Department of Budget and Management and will be integrated with the payroll system in the next five years.
The platform will enable the CSC to check vacancies in different agencies in real time, which will be crucial in filling the more than 200,000 job vacancies in the government.
By the end of 2029, the CSC plans to cover 226 government agencies that is equivalent to 1.1 million civil servants, filling job vacancies with qualified applicants and promoting deserving employees.
