Joeven M.

Macasiab
J19-68716

Reaction Paper
Labor Issues: Inappropriate Job Placement and Job Assurance

Being employed at the City Government of Santo Tomas, Batangas for almost 3 years,
this reaction paper is based on the past and present situation of the Local Government Unit.
According to the Philippine Labor Code, it is a legally binding document that governs all
employment practices and labor relations in the country. This is to protect both employees and
employers by ensuring that neither is subjected to unfair treatment nor exploitation.
No employee in the Philippines is required to work more than 8 hours per day. The provision of
this is to apply to employees in all establishments, whether for profit or not, except government
employees, field personnel, members of the employer’s family who are financially dependent on
him, domestic helpers, persons in the personal service of another, and workers who are paid by
results as determined by the Secretary of Labor in appropriate regulations.

With this, my issues are the same from the time that I am hired up to this current day
which I was told (before the posting of the vacant item/plantilla) that I should apply for a
permanent position. As we know that being employed in a government, there is a lot of issues
especially those who are hired the first time and been given an item/plantilla position which
being employed permanently, and others are employed as Job Order employees which is unsure
whether they will be a permanent employee or not regardless if you have the eligibility. The
same goes with inappropriate job placement where some of the employees are assigned in a
department which he does not any experience or not related to what he/she studied. Because of
these, the 2017 Civil Service Commission Omnibus Rules on Appointment and Other Human
Resource Actions (Revised July 2018), the City Government of Santo Tomas, Batangas that all
personnel Recruitment and Selections are in accordance to this that mandates the Commission
“to establish a career service and adopt measures to promote moral, efficiency, integrity,
responsiveness, and courtesy in the civil service, and shall strengthen the merit and rewards
system, integrate all human resources development programs for all level of ranks, and
institutionalize a management climate conducive to public accountability”. And, under Section I,
Rule VIII (Career and Personnel Development) of Omnibus Rules Implementing Book V of
Executive Order No. 292 states that “Every official and employee of the government is an asset
or resource to be valued, developed and utilized in the delivery of basic services to the public.
Hence, the development and retention of a highly competent and professional workforce in the
public service shall be the main concern of every department or agency.” “Every department or
agency shall therefore establish a continuing program for career and personnel development for
all agency personnel at all levels, and shall create an environment or work climate conducive to
the development of personnel skills, talents and values for better public service.” With these,
adopting the CSC’s Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource
Management (PRIME-HRM), a mechanism that empowers government agencies
by developing their human resource management competencies, systems, and practices toward
HR excellence that will empower the City Government on developing human resource
management competencies, systems and practices toward HRM excellence. PRIME-HRM
entails greater engagement not just of the human resource management officer (HRMO) but also
of the officials and the rank-and-file employees of the agency. The HRMO should thoroughly
evaluate employees' competencies, general knowledge of the position, additional skills gained
from previous experiences, and work behavior or attitudes. Concerning the common issues and
concerns in job assurance and inappropriate job placement, the HRMO should advise and discuss
with higher officials that old recruitment practices are no longer permitted, particularly for
permanent employees. The HRMO also may provide mentoring to employees who are scheduled
to take governmental exams such as Civil Service Eligibility. This may boost their morale and
spirit, and they may have a good chance of being promoted in the future. However, if employees
have already passed the examination, the HRMO may monitor their performance in order to
evaluate and consider them for regularization or promotion. A rewards system, whether
monetary or non-monetary, may also be considered.

In accord with the Article XI (Accountability of Public Officers) of the 1987 Constitution
of the Republic of the Philippines states that “Public office is a public trust. Public officers and
employees must, at all times, be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost
responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency; act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest
lives.” This can be accomplished through recruitment schemes and an organizational culture that
is healthy and safe through training and development, as well as the right recruitment and
selection process in a healthy working environment. The City of Sto. Tomas, Batangas was
recognized as the 4th Richest Municipality in the Philippines prior to its conversion into a City,
demonstrating that financial management and resources, or the availability of funds, are not
necessarily an issue in formulating and implementing Human Resource policies and guidelines.
As a result, I conclude that HRMO will play a significant role in determining how to implement
policies, strategies, guidelines, and management tools that will address the problems, issues,
and/or concerns that have been raised.