MANILA — An official of the National Anti-Poverty Commission urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Labor Day to certify as urgent a proposed legislation for select government workers.

The bill seeks to provide civil service eligibility and permanent appointment to all government casual and contractual employees under Job Orders (JO), Contract of Service (COS) and other similar contracts who have rendered at least 3 years of outstanding government service.

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“Aming inabot kanina kay Pangulong Marcos… yung House Bill 1514 na may kinalaman doon sa equivalency bill na kung saan ang mga manggagawa ng gobyerno na nakapaglingkod na ng 3 taon at pumasa naman sa assessment at evaluation ay dapat nang bigyan ng pagkakataon na maging regular. Pero ito ay subject pa sa deliberasyon sa Kongreso kaya ang aming hiling kay Pangulong Marcos ay i-certify itong batas na ito,” Edwin Bustillos, Sectoral Representative of the NAPC Formal Labor and Migrant Workers Sector, said in a televised briefing.

In his speech in Malacañang on Wednesday, Marcos assured contractual government workers of his administration’s efforts towards an appropriate structure that would allow them to attain civil service eligibility and become permanent government employees.

He earlier ordered the extension of the expiring contracts of COS and JO workers until 2025.

“Marahil narinig na ninyo pero uulitin ko po: Tayo ay nag-desisyon na ipagpatuloy ang inyong serbisyo hanggang sa 2025. Pag-aaralan nating mabuti ang angkop na struktura sa pamahalaan. Gagawa tayo ng mga mainam na programa upang matulungan kayong makamtan ang Civil Service Eligibility at maging permanenteng kawani ng pamahalaan,” Marcos said in his Labor Day speech.

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