By Charissa Luci-Atienza
An opposition lawmaker wants to declare the conferment of a doctorate degree as equivalent to entry-level career executive service officer eligibility in the civil service.
Magdalo partylist Rep. Gary Alejano filed House Bill 7671 to grant holders of doctorate degrees, in recognition of their educational competence and fitness, for appointment or promotion to executive positions in the civil service.
Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
"It aims to provide the same privilege given to those who passed the bar or board examinations to holders of doctorate degrees which is equivalent to, if not more than the bar or board examinations," he said.
As provided for by Republic Act 1080, the bar examinations and the examinations given by the various boards of examiners of the government are declared as civil service examinations.
Alejano noted that those who passed these examinations may be appointed into the civil service without the necessity of passing the civil service examinations, except those positions requiring highly specialized knowledge not covered by the ordinary board examinations.
House Bill 7671 declares the conferment of a doctorate degree by an institution of higher learning duly accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as equivalent to entry level Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) eligibility in the civil service.
The bill tasks the registrars or other responsible officers of duly accredited colleges and universities offering doctorate degrees to regularly furnish the Civil Service Commission (CSC) with a list of graduates of their respective colleges or universities who have been conferred with doctorate degrees within 60 days from conferment.
Alejano said the eligibility shall commence on the date of conferment and that for those who have already been conferred doctorate degrees prior to the passage of the proposed Act, their eligibility shall be deemed to commence from the approval of the law.
HB 7671 mandates the CSC to promulgate the rules and regulations of the proposed Act.