Nograles steps down as Civil Service Commission chair


At a glance

  • In his letter to President Marcos, Nograles bared his plans to seek public office in his hometown of Davao City.


Civil Service Commission (CSC) head Karlo Nograles has resigned from his position at the CSC, acting Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez confirmed.

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Resigned Civil Service Commission chairperson Karlo Nograles (File photo)

In a text message, Chavez confirmed that Nograles, who served as Cabinet Secretary of the previous administration, has tendered his resignation. He, however, did not divulge any reason why Nograles stepped down from his post.

However, in his letter to President Marcos, Nograles bared his plans to seek public office in his hometown of Davao City.

He likewise thanked Marcos "for the opportunity to serve alongside such dedicated public servants," and admitted that his decision to step down from the agency "was difficult to make."

"It has been a privilege and an honor to serve our countrymen as part of the institution mandated by the Constitution to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness, and courtesy in the civil service," Nograles wrote.

"This experience has moved me to return to my roots in Davao City—where I hope to bring and apply the lessons I have learned in my tenure as the head of the Commission, as well as my two decades in government" he added.

Nograles said that during his two-year stint at the CSC, he witnessed the commitment and hard work of CSC personnel across the country.

"Together, we initiated meaningful reforms that the undersigned believes will benefit our nation for years to come," he said.

"As I embark on this new path of public service, I leave the CSC extremely confident in its ability to steer our bureaucracy towards greater heights," he added.

Under Nograles' leadership, the CSC has consistently sought out and publicly recognized the most outstanding civil servants, implemented direct public engagement programs, and improved the profile of eligibility exams to attract more citizens to government service.

Other key achievements of the Commission in recent years were the active push for modernization and digitalization as well as training and capacity building, which benefits the millions of CSC personnel and government employees throughout the country.

Nograles served three terms as the congressional representative of Davao City's first district. In the House of Representatives, Nograles played a key role in the passage of significant laws he authored, such as the Green Jobs Act, the JobStart Philippines Act, and the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.