Legarda pushes merit, accountability reforms for 2.25M gov’t workers

Sen. Loren Legarda —Photo from her office MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Loren Legarda urges greater investment in the skills of the more than 2.25 million personnel keeping government services running across the country and stronger systems that reward performance, measure results, and hold public institutions accountable. As the country marks the 126th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary this September, Legarda said recognition for government workers should be matched by policies that give them better opportunities to improve their skills and make it easier for the competent and ethical among them to perform their jobs well. “When an employee’s work is good, the people feel it. Transactions are faster, service is better, the answers of agencies are clearer, and public funds are better used. If the standards we expect from public servants are high, the government should also be serious about giving them better opportunities,” Legarda said in a statement issued on Tuesday. Article continues after this advertisement READ: Legarda seeks calamity pay, protection for workers amid storms Citing a Civil Service Commission report, she said there are 2,256,693 career and non-career government personnel as of June 2026. This year’s anniversary carries the theme “Bawat Kawani, Lingkod Bayani: Puso, Dangal, at Galing Para sa Bayan.” Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, has filed measures addressing professional development, merit-based performance, government accountability, and access to public information. Among these are the following: Senate Bill No. 2099, or the proposed Government Employees Free Master’s Degree Tuition Act, which seeks to provide free tuition in state universities and colleges for government employees pursuing master’s degrees Senate Bill No. 513, or the proposed Bagong Dugong Lingkod Bayan Act, which seeks to establish a National Public Service College tasked with developing competent and ethical government leaders “Many workers want to study and expand their capabilities, but there are expenses involved in graduate education. If the knowledge that they will get will be used for making better policies and rendering better services, it’s only right that the government should invest in their education,” Legarda said. Article continues after this advertisement Legarda is also pushing for reforms in how government performance is evaluated through the following measures: Senate Bill No. 1850, which seeks to establish and institutionalize a performance measurement system that promotes meritocracy in government Senate Bill No. 515, or the proposed National Results-Based Governance Act, which seeks to strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and the use of evidence across government programs and projects “Performance evaluation should be meaningful. If the work is good, it should be recognized. If a program isn’t working, it should immediately be identified and corrected, and not continue to be funded because it’s the way it’s always been done. Public funds should follow programs that actually work,” Legarda said. Article continues after this advertisement She stressed that measuring performance also requires access to reliable information and stronger safeguards against corruption. READ: Legarda lauds passage of Magna Carta for BHWs To this end, Legarda has filed the following measures: Senate Bill No. 523, or the proposed Tapat na Paglilingkod Act, which seeks to institutionalize a national anti-corruption mainstreaming agenda and strengthen integrity and accountability mechanisms throughout government Senate Bill No. 304, or the proposed Open Government Data Act, which seeks to require the proactive and regular publication of policy- and operations-relevant government data Legarda said these measures reflect the kind of civil service reform she intends to pursue as committee chair, with professional development matched by merit, measurable performance, transparency, and accountability. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. “No matter how good a policy is, if the system of implementation is weak, the people won’t feel it. So it’s important to strengthen our workers and the institutions where they serve so that every law, program, and funding allocated by the government will go to real services that will benefit the people,” Legarda said. /atm