MANILA – The resolution granting civil service eligibility to Sanggunian Members has been amended.
Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson Karlo Nograles said the amendment aims to encompass a broader range of Sanggunian Members seeking to apply for career service positions.
“By amending the eligibility requirement for Sanggunian Members, we hope to recognize the years they have committed to serving the public as frontliners in local government units. Their wealth of experience and expertise constitutes a valuable contribution to the 1.9 million-strong civil service workforce,” he said in a news release on Thursday.
The new rules are provided under Resolution No. 2300882 promulgated on September 15, 2023, amending CSC Resolution No. 1300486 dated March 6, 2013.
This new rule adopts and prescribes the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 10156, also known as “An Act Conferring Upon Members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod, and Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the Appropriate Civil Service Eligibility under Certain Circumstances, and for Other Purposes.”
Pursuant to R.A. 10156, Sanggunian Member Eligibility (SME) may be granted to the following Sanggunian Members, who have been elected after the effectivity of the Local Government Code of 1991:
- The Vice Mayor, as presiding officer for the Sangguniang Bayan or Sangguniang Panlungsod;
- Vice Governor, as presiding officer for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan;
- and regular Sanggunian Members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Meanwhile, the CSC said the SME shall not be applicable to the following Sanggunian Members, who were not elected at large or by political district:
- President of provincial, city, or municipal chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay;
- President of the panlalawigan, panlungsod, and pambayang Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan; and
- Sectoral representatives to the Sanggunian Panlalawigan, Bayan, or Panlungsod.
The first level SME is open for those who have served as Sanggunian Member for an aggregate period of six (6) years and have completed at least seventy-two (72) units leading to a baccalaureate or bachelor’s degree; while the second level SME is for officials who have served as Sanggunian Member for an aggregate period of nine (9) years and have completed a baccalaureate/bachelor’s degree.
In both cases, the degree program must be recognized by Commission on Higher Education and obtained from a Private Higher Education Institution in the Philippines, or from a State/Local College with baccalaureate/bachelor’s degree included in its Charter, or baccalaureate/bachelor’s degree duly approved by its Board of Trustees/ Board of Regents. (CSC Resolution No. 1801099, 09 October 2018)
Under the new CSC resolution, the years of service which have already been included in the computation of the aggregate years for the grant of the Sanggunian Member First Level Eligibility may now be included in the computation for application of the Second Level Eligibility.
However, the computation of aggregate years of service does not include years of service in other positions held in the Sanggunian in which the functions do not belong to that of a Sanggunian Member, as well as the years of service of the Sanggunian Member in the Sanggunian during the term in which their supposed election was recalled by appropriate authority.
The Sanggunian Member First Level Eligibility is applicable for entrance and promotion to first level career service positions, while the Sanggunian Member Second Level Eligibility is applicable for entrance and promotion to first level and second level career service positions.
Under the new resolution, all applications for SME previously denied may also be refiled by any interested applicant following these amendments and upon compliance and resubmission of the requirements.
The prescriptive period of filing of application has also been removed, allowing qualified applicants to apply at any time as long as they meet all the requirements. However, the grant of eligibility based on the amendments under said resolution shall take effect only for applications filed anew or upon the effectivity of the amended IRR.
Interested applicants may view the complete provision and information on SME at the CSC website at www.csc.gov.ph.
CSC Resolution No. 2300882 was published in a newspaper of general circulation on December 15, 2023 and on February 10, 2023. It took effect on February 26, 2024. (PR)
