Upon knowing the rationalization plan, many people were confused and some have questions. So, what is really this CSC Memorandum Circular Number 03 series 2014?
On December 3, 2014 the Department of Education disseminated DepEd Order No. 53 s. 2013 specifying the step by step process of the rationalization program. It was a program mandated in October 2004 through Executive Order 366, which the DepEd revisited in December 2011 “in light of long term reforms needed in the education sector notwithstanding fast-changing demands of the local and global environment”. The said Executive Order prohibited the hiring and rehiring of personnel during the plan preparation, which explains the vacant items. But the situation is different on the ground, where more teachers and non- teaching staff are actually needed.
Moreover, the Rationalization program is a move to transform the Executive Branch into a more effective and efficient government. It aims to focus government efforts on its vital functions and channel government resources to these core public services; and improve the efficiency of government services, within affordable levels, and in the most accountable manner. The scheme aims to rid the department, the country’s biggest bureaucracy with 500,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel nationwide, of the redundant functions as part of the government’s streamlining policy to reduce budget expenditures. The affected employees meanwhile may either be placed in a comparable position or choose the status of co-terminus to the incumbent (CTI). Under the CTI, an employee gets to keep his/her item with the same rank, salary grade and benefits until she/he chooses to retire, resign or if she/he gets appointed to another position. Furthermore, the CTI scheme allows an affected regular employee who is currently 40 years of age were given option to choose whether to keep his/her item until she/he chooses to leave government service or to retire at the age of 60-65. By then the vacated item will no longer be filled up.
Therefore, contrary to reports that thousands of employees will lose their jobs due to the rationalization program. On the contrary, this will even usher in the hiring of new people since there is no mass and forced resignation of people who work in DepEd.