ESTABLISHING A REGULARIZATION MECHANISM FOR LONG-SERVING CASUAL PERSONNEL OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT OF NAGA

WHEREAS, a review of the City Government’s human resource composition reveals that only 723 out of 2,356 personnel, or 31 percent, hold permanent Plantilla positions, while the remaining 1,633 personnel, or 69 percent, serve under Casual, Job Order (JO), or Contract of Service (COS) arrangements-raising serious concerns about employment security, institutional continuity, and compliance with civil service standards;

WHEREAS, this structural imbalance has created critical vulnerabilities in the City’s service delivery, with some essential service lines relying heavily on temporary hires for their workforce-exposing operations to serious risks of service disruption, institutional knowledge loss, and governance instability in the event of mass disengagement or funding delays;

WHEREAS, this condition has contributed to a labor environment that undermines fairness and professional standards, weakens institutional continuity, and exposes public services to operational risks;

WHEREAS, the continued exclusion of long-serving employees from regular positions contradicts the principles of social justice and decent work, and has fostered the perception that government institutions perpetuate labor insecurity and the erosion of workers’ rights;

WHEREAS, length of service, institutional knowledge, and proven dedication have often been undervalued in favor of discretionary or politically influenced appointments-weakening meritocracy, transparency, and professionalism in public sector employment;

WHEREAS, the City Government affirms its duty to uphold the dignity of public service, address long-standing labor injustices, and promote a working environment grounded in fairness, stability, and recognition of service;

WHEREAS, casual employees who have rendered ten (10) years or more of service to the City Government have demonstrated competence and reliability, and therefore merit regularization into career service positions that uphold their dignity and recognize their contributions;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 458(a)(1)(viii) of Republic Act No. 7160, the Sangguniang Panlungsod is empowered to create plantilla positions and prescribe corresponding compensation, to be paid wholly or primarily from city funds;

WHEREAS, Section 16 of Republic Act No. 7160 affirms that the chief executive of every local government unit shall exercise general supervision and control over programs, projects, services, and activities, including those related to employee management and organizational development;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, MARIA LEONOR G. ROBREDO, Mayor of Naga City, by virtue of the powers vested in me under Section 455(b)(1)(v) of Republic Act No. 7160, do hereby order the following:

SECTION 1. SCOPE. This Program shall apply to all qualified employees who have rendered long and meritorious service, as validated by the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO). Priority in regularization shall be given to employees who:

1. Have served continuously for ten (10) years or more;
2. Perform essential, recurring functions aligned with existing or proposed plantilla positions;
3. Have no pending administrative or criminal cases and no derogatory record.

SECTION 2. CREATION OF PLANTILLA POSITIONS. The Human Resource Management Office, in coordination with the City Budget Office, is hereby directed to prepare proposals for the creation of plantilla positions in the career service to enable the regularization of qualified long-serving casual employees, as recommended by their respective Heads of Office.

The City Mayor shall formally transmit these proposals to the Sangguniang Panlungsod and respectfully urge the passage of an ordinance to create said positions, in alignment with applicable laws, rules, and standards of the Civil Service Commission.

SECTION 3. APPOINTMENT TO CAREER POSITIONS. Only those casual personnel who meet the minimum qualifications and eligibility requirements prescribed by the Civil Service Commission shall be considered for appointment.

Appointments to newly created positions under this Program shall be made by the City Mayor in accordance with Section 455(b)(1)(v) of the Local Government Code, which authorizes the local chief executive to appoint all officers and employees whose positions are provided for in the budget and covered by law.

SECTION 4. IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING. The HRMO shall oversee the implementation of this Executive Order, maintain updated records of eligible personnel, and ensure that appointments are processed in a transparent, timely, and policy-consistent manner.

Regular updates shall be submitted to the Office of the Mayor for monitoring purposes.

SECTION 5. AMENDMENTS AND INTERPRETATION. This Order may be amended or supplemented as may be deemed necessary, and shall be interpreted to give full force and effect to the attainment of the declared policy and the operationalization of the principles of good governance.

SECTION 6. REPEALING CLAUSE. All issuances and orders inconsistent with this Order are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 7. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE. If any provision of this Order is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 8. EFFECTIVITY. This Order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in effect unless otherwise revoked or amended, or until superseded by an ordinance.

DONE in the City of Naga, this 30th day of June, 2025.

(SGD) MARIA LEONOR G. ROBREDO
City Mayor

Attested by: