Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday called on the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to broaden employment opportunities and improve exam access for K-12 graduates during the Senate budget hearing for the agency.
Gatchalian criticized the government for failing to comply with the K-12 law by not establishing clear hiring standards for senior high school graduates. “Nung nag-shift tayo to K-12 in 2012 at nagkaroon tayo ng senior high school graduates in 2021, gobyerno ang lumabag doon sa K-12 law because wala tayong service standard for K-12 graduates. So, tayo ang nagmandato sa ating mga kababayan na mag-K-12 pero tayo naman sa gobyerno ang [hindi] kumukuha ng senior high school (When we shifted to K-12 in 2012 and produced senior high school graduates in 2021, it was the government that violated the K-12 law because we had no service standard for K-12 graduates. We mandated Filipinos to complete K-12, yet the government itself was not hiring senior high school graduates),” Gatchalian said.
CSC Chairperson Marilyn Yap noted that the commission has updated education qualification standards for first-level entry positions to include junior and senior high school graduates, covering roles in clerical, administrative support, trades, crafts, and custodial services. “Kailangan pa din sub-professional (They still need to take the sub-professional exam),” Yap said when asked about the civil service eligibility exam requirement.
Gatchalian pointed out that only about 14 percent of exam takers pass, calling the rate potentially too low despite preferring a rigorous process to ensure quality hires. “If you ask me, mas maganda na mahirap pumasa. Ibig sabihin quality ang pumapasok kaysa maraming pumasa, baka hindi quality. But I think 14 percent, maybe this is the lowest (If you ask me, it’s better that the exam is difficult to pass because it ensures that only quality candidates make it. But 14 percent might be too low),” he said.
Yap acknowledged that many agencies still favor college graduates, urging affirmative action to encourage hiring K-12 graduates. “Yun ang masakit unless we do some affirmative action and tell them would you please hire these people (That’s the painful part unless we do some affirmative action and encourage agencies to hire these people),” she said. The CSC reports around 83,000 unfilled first-level positions suitable for senior high school graduates.
Gatchalian recommended a comprehensive review of the employment process, from exams to contractual hiring and qualifications, to better integrate K-12 graduates. “Ang recommendation ko lang Chairperson is to look at the entire continuum — from the examination to the COS, to senior high school. Kailangan dugtong-dugtong kasi siya eh. Kasi alam ko yung mga ibang agency kaya nagsi-COS kasi mahirap kumuha ng eligible na pasok dun sa qualification (My recommendation, Chairperson, is to look at the entire continuum — from the examination to the contract-of-service hiring and senior high school. It all has to be connected because I know some agencies resort to contractual hiring since it’s difficult to find eligible applicants who meet the qualifications),” he said.
The subcommittee approved the CSC’s proposed PHP4.188 billion budget for 2026, up from PHP2.783 billion in 2025, including an additional PHP487 million for restored items. For 2026, the CSC aims to offer 550,000 exam slots, train 81,000 civil servants, and process 86 percent of agency appointments.