Senator Win Gatchalian has urged the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to conduct a thorough review of the government workforce, particularly the large number of contractual (COS) and job order (JO) employees who remain without permanent positions.
During the budget hearing for the CSC’s proposed 2026 allocation, Gatchalian—who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance—pointed out that despite the growing number of vacant positions in government, the number of contractual and job order workers continues to rise.
Currently, there are a combined 919,868 job order and contractual employees across the bureaucracy, accounting for about one-third of the total government workforce.
“Salungat ‘yan. Dapat i-fill up ‘yung authorized positions para may security of tenure na magpapaangat ng morale at magbibigay ng eligibility kung nakapasa sila sa exam. Makakakuha din sila ng mga benepisyo,” Gatchalian said.
The CSC explained that such workers are beyond its direct jurisdiction, as they fall under the supervision of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Commission on Audit (COA). The three agencies, however, are currently in discussions on how to extend benefits and longer terms for these employees.
“Ang CSC dapat ang magtaguyod para sa mga job order at contractual na empleyado. Ang pamahalaan ay kumikilos bilang iisa. Kung kailangan ninyo ng batas, susuportahan namin, o pwedeng sapat na ang isang executive order,” Gatchalian added.
The senator emphasized that giving these workers security of tenure and fair benefits would not only boost morale but also strengthen efficiency and accountability within the public sector.