Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday urged the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to widen employment opportunities and enhance examination access for K-12 graduates.

During the Senate budget hearing for the CSC, Gatchalian said the government had failed to uphold the K-12 law when it did not set clear standards for hiring 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 said the commission amended the education qualification standards for first-level entry positions to include junior and senior high school graduates. These positions include clerical, administrative support, trades and crafts, and custodial jobs.

“Kailangan pa din sub-professional (They still need to take the sub-professional exam),” Yap said when asked if applicants must still take the civil service eligibility exam.

Gatchalian, however, noted that only about 14 percent of takers pass the exam.

“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 said many government agencies still prefer college graduates despite the new qualification standards.

“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.

There are about 83,000 unfilled first-level government positions suitable for senior high school graduates, according to the CSC.

Gatchalian recommended that the CSC review the entire employment process — from civil service examinations to contractual hiring and qualification standards — to ensure that K-12 graduates are given a fair chance to serve in government.

“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, which reflects a significant increase from PHP2.783 billion in 2025.

Under the proposal, the CSC seeks an additional PHP487 million for restoration and reconsideration of items not included in the National Expenditure Program.

For 2026, the CSC targets to open 550,000 examination slots for various civil service eligibility exams, train 81,000 civil servants, and process 86 percent of appointments received from agencies. (PNA)