IN SUPPORT OF CAREER EXECUTIVE SERVICE OFFICERS

 IN SUPPORT OF CAREER EXECUTIVE SERVICE OFFICERS 

In many of the countries around us, the government is run by career undersecretaries who work under the Ministers who are members of the Cabinet. These Ministers are also members of Parliament who were appointed by the Prime Minister. In some countries, there are Permanent Secretaries in each of the ministries, but they are also subordinate to the Ministers. 

As far as I can recall, all undersecretaries of the Philippine government are supposed to be Career Executive Service Officers (CESOs) or Career Service Executive Eligibles (CSEEs), even if they all serve under the Secretary who are all political appointees. The only exception to this rule are the undersecretaries of the DFA, but they are also career Foreign Service Officer (FSOs). 

Everyone all the way down to Bureau Directors are also supposed to be either CESOs or CSEEs, but over the years, many non-career undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors have been appointed to government positions, meaning that they are political appointees. If we shift back to appointing the career officials, we will have the advantage of having continuity in government programs, even if the Secretaries are replaced every six years, or shorter than that. Without career officials, there is no institutional memory in our governance. IKE SENERES/05-29-2024 

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