President Marcos has asked fellow public servants to continue to embody their constitutional mandate as he recognized and honored those who made significant contributions in their line of work.

Marcos said this as he led the conferment of awards to the winners of the 2024 Search for Outstanding Government Workers in Malacañan on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

In his speech, the President told the awardees to remain transparent and accountable to the people.

"Let us continue to live by our constitutional mandate that public office is a public trust," he said.

"We should remain transparent, accountable to all our people, and serve them with integrity, loyalty, and efficiency," he added.

Marcos further encouraged them to help the government's vision of a Bagong Pilipinas a reality as he reminded them why they chose to become civil servants.

"Even when we deal with routines, serving in government can be challenging, exciting, and rewarding, especially when we are at the forefront of something innovative or when we are changing people’s lives," he said.

"We serve because we make a difference. We serve because it is in our DNA. We serve because we love the Philippines," he added.

"As we push back the boundaries of public service, let us strive to be a Bagong Pilipino—one who will make our vision of a prosperous, progressive, and equitable society a reality within our lifetimes," he continued.

Pillars of a Bagong Pilipinas

In his speech, Marcos called the Search for Outstanding Government Workers awardees the pillars of achieving a Bagong Pilipinas.

"Your exceptional service, complemented by your principles, your virtues, your hard work, has truly inspired everyone to strive to make a difference in our society," he said.

"You serve as the pillars upon which our government can draw its confidence and to build its momentum in achieving a Bagong Pilipinas," he added.

The President emphasized that the awardees' impact extends beyond the recognition they received.

"Let us remember that the impact of our work does not lie in the recognition that we receive or the laurels that we are given. It lies in the hearts that we have touched, the communities that we have reached, and the lives that we have changed," he said.

"After all, government work is about making our people, our country, and our world better than when we found it," he added.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) is the lead agency in the annual recognition and awarding of government workers for their outstanding contributions, achievements, and display of ethical behavior in their respective public service careers.

The CSC Pagasa Award recognizes outstanding contributions that directly benefit more than one government department.

The Presidential Lingkod Bayan (PLB) Award, on the other hand, recognizes contributions from outstanding government employees who have had a nationwide impact on public interest, security, and patrimony.

Nine awardees received a Presidential plaque with a citation signed by the President, a gold-gilded medallion, and an incentive worth P200,000 for individual awardees and P100,000 per member for group awardees.

The nine awardees also received a plaque with a citation signed by the CSC Chairperson Karlo Nograles, a gold-gilded medallion, and an incentive worth P200,000 for individual awardees and P100,000 per member for group awardees.

Meanwhile, the Dangal ng Bayan (DNB) Award recognizes the performance of an extraordinary act of public service and consistent demonstration of exemplary ethical behavior based on the eight norms of conduct for public officials and employees.

Ten awardees in this category received a fiberglass trophy designed by National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva, a gold-gilded medallion, and an incentive worth P200,000.

The Search for Outstanding Government Workers is an annual recognition effort by the CSC under its Honor Awards Program (HAP).

The conferment of honor awards aims to motivate and inspire government employees to improve their performance in public service careers.

Employee recognition efforts in government started in 1959 as the Employee Suggestions and Incentives Awards System.