Among the roles that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) may assume during the implementation of the government's rightsizing program is to supervise it, an official said Monday, June 18.

In the Laging Handa public briefing, CSC Senior Commissioner Aileen Lourdes A. Lizada stated that they can conduct inspection and audit of personal actions and programs to ensure that the rights of government officials and employees are protected.  

Another role that the CSC may take up according to her is the placement  of affected personnel.
 
"Ang CSC, puwede ho kaming mag-take ng (we can take the) lead role in the placement of affected personnel with permanent appointments who will opt to remain in the government service," she said.

"Nagawa na ho ito for human resource pool. Kailangan ho naming i-retool sila para ma-deploy sa iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno requiring iyong kanilang qualifications, skills, and competencies (We have dones this for human resource pool. We need to retool them so we can deploy them to different government agencies requiring their qualifications, skills, and, competencies)," she added.

In an earlier statement, CSC stated that it will study any proposed legislation on rightsizing the bureaucracy. CSC also mentioned that it will support any proposal that seeks to ensure greater efficiency in public sector administration as well as build an "agile" and "future-ready" civil service.

"The Commission assures everyone that it will thoroughly study any proposed legislation on rightsizing the bureaucracy, and provide its inputs, with the welfare of civil servants and the effective delivery of service to the public as its primordial considerations," it added.

Lizada cited a study that showed an estimated 44,771 positions out of the total 215,233 authorized regular positions in 162 entities will be dissolved under the rightsizing plan.

She explained that rightsizing was designed to arrive at the appropriate structure and size of government agencies that will be responsive in the delivery of public goods and services in an effective and efficient manner at the right time and at the right cause.

Citing the Senate bill on rightsizing filed during the 18th congress, she said that ‘rightsizing’ is a measure to rationalize the operations of offices from and among various government offices having related functions through streamlining of the position in any government bureaucracy aimed at enhancing the government’s institutional capacity to improve public service delivery.  
Meanwhile, she assured that rank and file employees will be given the chance to express their side through consultation.

"So, pakinggan ho muna natin sila and pag-aralan nang mabuti at ibigay ho natin iyong feedback at kung may proposal sila, baka may counterproposal din so at least open to dialogue at may opportunity for consultation po (So let's listen to them first, study carefully and provide our feedback if they have a proposal, maybe there's a counterproposal as well so at least this is open to dialogue and there's opportunity for consultation)," she said.

CSC has stated that it "understands" and "accepts" the changes and challenges brought about by the global pandemic and current events on health, the economy, and other factors that affect the life and livelihood of the people.