President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday emphasized the enduring role of the Philippine civil service, urging government workers to adopt reforms that address the evolving demands of the modern era.

In his message for the 125th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary, Marcos emphasized the permanence and continuity of the bureaucracy as essential to effective governance, extending beyond electoral cycles.

“Governance acquires coherence only when institutions ensure continuity, permanence, and reliability. In modern Philippines, these conditions converge within the civil service, whose purpose extends beyond merely supporting political authority,” Marcos said.

The President described the civil service as the “permanent bureaucracy” that preserves institutional memory, mediates the implementation of policy, and sustains the ability of the government to deliver programs across regions and sectors.

As the civil service enters its 125th year, Marcos urged agencies to see the milestone as an opportunity for “reorientation”—particularly in facing 21st-century challenges such as digital governance, regulatory coherence, environmental accountability, and decentralized service delivery.

“This anniversary must therefore serve as a platform for civil service reorientation. The evolving demands of the 21st century…require a bureaucracy that governs through foresight and civic imagination,” he said.

The President also emphasized that civil servants carry the responsibility of “constitutional stewardship,” urging them to uphold technical competence, ethical discipline, and institutional rigor in the daily practice of governance.

The Philippine civil service traces its roots to Sept. 19, 1900, with the establishment of the Bureau of Civil Service under Act No. 5 of the Philippine Commission. It has since evolved into a professionalized bureaucracy with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) as the central personnel agency.

The CSC is leading month-long anniversary celebrations this September. (PNA)