Anti-‘endo’ in gov’t bill hurdles House panel

In a statement on Thursday, Iligan City Rep. Frederick Siao, committee chair, said the panel approved the unnumbered substitute bill consolidating 14 bills on regularization and granting civil service eligibility to these employees who have rendered at least five years of efficient government service.  (File Photo: House of Representatives of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – The House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation has endorsed for plenary deliberation a measure providing civil service eligibility and permanent appointment to contractual, job order, and casual government employees.

In a statement on Thursday, Iligan City Rep. Frederick Siao, committee chair, said the panel approved the unnumbered substitute bill consolidating 14 bills on regularization and granting civil service eligibility to these employees who have rendered at least five years of efficient government service.

“The final form of the bill will be made public very soon. The bill underwent extensive consultations with stakeholders. We believe this bill would be an effective solution at this time to the concerns of about 670,000 ‘endo’ (end-of-contract) workers in government, most of whom are in the payrolls of local governments,” Siao said.

“When signed into law, this bill will have a direct impact on Filipino families out there in the LGUs (local government units) and provinces,” Siao said.

The bill seeks to institutionalize the right to security of tenure of casual and contractual employees of the government who have served for substantial periods of time.

Authors of the bill have highlighted that the 1987 Constitution explicitly provides that the State must protect the security of tenure of each employee, which applies to both the public and private sectors.