Senator Win Gatchalian urged the Civil Service Commission to review the entire government workforce and take up the cudgels for contractual and job order employees who remain unqualified for permanent positions.

During the hearing on the CSC’s proposed 2026 budget, the Finance Committee Chairperson noted that while unfilled positions in government continue to increase, the number of job order and contract of service workers is also on the rise.

Currently, there are a combined 919,868 job order and contractual employees in the entire government bureaucracy, accounting for about a third of the total government workforce.  

“Counterintuitive ‘yun. Dapat i-fill up ‘yung authorized positions para may security of tenure that will improve morale, will also make them eligible kung makapasa sila sa exam, at makakakuha pa sila ng benefits,” Gatchalian said.   

The CSC explained that these workers are outside the CSC’s jurisdiction, with the DBM and COA overseeing them, and that the three agencies are discussing possible benefits and longer terms for these workers.

“The CSC should take up the cudgels for the job order and contractual employees. Government functions as one. If you need a law, we will support, or maybe an executive order would suffice,” said Gatchalian. 

Photo by Mark Cayabyab / OS WIN GATCHALIAN