Republic of the Philippines

Province of Albay
Legazpi City
Philippines

OFFICE MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR No,. _______

TO : All Officials and Employees

SUBJECT : MERIT PROMOTION PLAN and SYSTEM OF RANKING

POSITIONS

Pursuant to CSC MC No. 3. S. 2001, and other pertinent Civil Service Law, rules or
regulations, this Merit Promotion Plan for the Provincial Government of Albay, Legazpi City is
hereby established for the guidance of all concerned.

I. OBJECTIVES
It is the policy of the Provincial Government of Albay to strictly adhere to the principle
of merit and fitness of appointing/promoting employees on the basis of their
relativequalifications and competence to perform the duties of the position. In this pursuit, this
Merit Promotion Plan aims to:

1. Establish a promoting system that is characterized by strict observance of the

principle of merit and fitness in the selection of employees for the advancement to
higher positions in the career service;
2. There shall be equal employment opportunity for men and women at all levels of
position, provided that they meet the minimum requirements of the position to be
filled;
3. There shall be no discrimination in the selection of employees on account of gender,
civil status, disability, religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation;
4. Create equal opportunities for advancement to all qualified an competent
employees in the province;
5. Effectively appraise their performance;
6. Bring about highly educated and well-trained personnel;
7. Motivate and reward the deserving; and
8. Provide a guide for the speedy and fair adjudication of protests of employees
against appointments and promotion.

II SCOPE
 This Merit Promotion Plan shall cover all positions in the Provincial Government
of Albay classified under the first and second level of career service.

III DEFINITION OF TERMS

As used in the Merit Promotion Plan, the following are construed to mean as
follows:
PROMOTION is a movement of an employee from one position to another an increase in
duties and responsibilities as authorized by law and is usually accompanied by an increase
in salary.

MERIT PROMOTION is a systematic method of selecting employees for advancement or

promotion in the bases of their qualifications, fitness and ability to perform the duties and
duties and assume the responsibilities of the position being filed.

CAREER SERVICE is a category of service in the Philippine Civil Service characterized

by entrance to positions based on merit and fitness to be determined as far as practicable
by competitive examination or based on highly technical qualifications, opportunity for
advancement to higher position and security of tenure.

FIRST LEVEL POSITIONS refer to clerical, trades, crafts and custodial service positions
which involves sub professional work in a non-supervisory or supervisory capacity
requiring less than four years of collegiate studies.

SECOND LEVEL POSITIONS refer top positions in the professional, technical, or

scientific work in a non-supervisory or supervisory capacity requiring at least four years of
collegiate studies up to Department Head/Division Chief Level.

OPEN POSITIONS refer to those position, which by reason of hierarchical arrangement

of positions, is determined to be in the nearest degree or relationship to a higher position,
as contained in the System of Ranking Positions taking into considerations the following:

a. Organizational structure as reflected in the approved organizational chart;

b. Salary grade;
c. Classification and/or functional relationship of position; and
d. Geographical location.

QUALIFIED NEXT-IN RANK refers to an employee appointed on a permanent basis to a

position previously determined to be next-in rank and should meet the requirements for
appointment thereto as previously determined by the appointing authority and approved by
the Civil Service Commission .
 OCCUPATINAL GROUPING OF POSITIONs is a series of classes of positions in the
same occupation or occupational area, arranged by level of difficulty and complexity of
work, from lowest to highest.

PERSONNEL SELECTION BOARD is a duly constituted body which shall assist the
appointing authority in the judicious and objective recruitment and selection of personnel
for the appointment of the career service whether original, promotion or reemployment,
according to the Civil Service Law, rules and regulation and previously determined
evaluation criteria.

QUALIFICATION INDEX is a record of personnel circumstances and qualifications of an

employee. Such record shall be continuously updated.

QUALIFICATION STANDARD is a duly approved statement of minimum job

requirements for a position in terms of education, training, experience, civil service
eligibility, physical and mental fitness, and other qualifications required for successful
performance.

SUPERIOR QUALIFICATIONS shall mean outstanding performance, relevant work

experience and specialized academic preparation or training appropriate for the position to
be filled.

PENDING ADMINISTRATIVE CASE shall be construed as follows (1) when the

disciplining authority has already filed a formal charge; or (2) in case of a complaint filed
by the private person, a prima facie case is already found to exist by the disciplining
authority.

DISCIPLINING AUTHORITY is the person or body authorized by law to investigate the

offending official or employee and impose the corresponding penalty for the offense
committed.

APPOINTING AUTHORITY is the Governor or Vice-Governor as the case may be.

IV BASIC POLICIES

1. All officers and employees shall be given equal opportunities for advancement to
higher positions either by promotion, reclassification, upgrading, etc.
2. No person shall be appointed in the career service if he is related within the fourth civil
degree of consanguinity or affinity to the appointing or recommending authority.
3. Whenever a position in the first and second level becomes vacant, the employee who
occupies positions deemed to be next-in-rank, shall be automatically considered for
promotion.
 4. An employee may be promoted or transferred to a position which is not more than 3
salary grades higher than the employee’s present position except in very meritorious
case such as, if the vacant position is next-in-rank as identified in the approved System
of Ranking Position, or the lone or entrance position indicated in the agency staffing
pattern.
5. The mere pendency of an administrative case/complaint against the employee shall not
constitute a disqualification from appointment/promotion. If he is found guilty, he shall
be disqualified for promotion for a period based on the penalty imposed, as follows:
a. The penalty of SUSPENSION shall carry with it disqualification for promotion
corresponding to the period of suspension.
b. The penalty of TRANSFER shall carry with it the disqualification for
promotion for a period of six months from the date respondent reports to the
position or station.
c. The penalty of DEMOTION shall carry with it disqualification for promotion
for a period of six months; and
d. The penalty of FINE shall carry with it disqualification for promotion for a
period twice the number of days he was fines.
If an employee with pending administrative case/complaint is promoted during the
pendency of such case, the vacated position shall not be filled up until after a final
decision on the case/complaint has been rendered.

6. The designation of an employee to perform certain functions of a higher position due

to various reason shall not be construed as right for promotion.
7. The Personnel Selection Board shall be responsible for the adoption of a formal
screening procedure and formulation of criteria for the evaluation of candidates for
appointment/promotion.
8. The Personnel selection Board shall recommend to the appointing authority the first (3)
three candidates for appointment. The appointing authority, in the exercise of his
discretion shall appoint from among the (3) recommendees of the Personnel Selection
Board, subject, however, to the existing Civil Service Law, rules and regulations.
9. An employee who is on local or foreign scholarship or training grant or on maternity
leave may be considered for promotion. For this purpose performance rating to be
considered shall be the rating immediately prior to the scholarship or training grant or
maternity leave. If promoted, the effectivity date of promotional appointment shall be
upon assumption to duty.
10. Promotion within (6) six months prior to compulsory retirement shall not be allowed
except as otherwise provided by the law.

V PROCEDURE ON PROMOTION
The following procedure shall be observed in filling a vacant position whether in the first
or second level of the career service.
1. When the appointing authority signifies his intent to fill a vacant position, the
Provincial Human Resource Management Office (PHRMO) shall post in (3) three
 conspicuous places at the Provincial Capitol premises, for a period of fifteen (15) days
a complete list of vacant positions or in a newspaper of general circulation, subject to
pertinent provisions of RA 7041 (Publication Law).
The publication of particular vacant position shall be valid until filled up but not to
extend beyond six (6) months reckoned from the date the vacant position was
published.
2. The head of the department where the vacancy exist may submit to the PHRMO the
names of officials/employees who are competent and qualified for promotion. From
the list submitted, he may indicate his choice to fill the vacancy.
3. The PHRMO, on the basis of the list submitted, the System of Ranking Position, and
the Personnel Qualification Index, shall identify other employees who are deemed
qualified ad competent for promotion.
4. The PHRMO, taking into consideration, among others, the Qualification Standards/job
requirements of vacant position, shall make an initial/preliminary evaluation of the
qualifications of all candidates and submit a promotional line up to the Personnel
Selection Board.
In preparing the promotional line-up, the following steps shall be taken.
4.1 A listing of official employees who are qualified and competent for
appointment/promotion to the vacancy together with the incumbents of positions
next-in-rank shall be drawn up. Included in the list is the comparative information
of their educational appointment and training, civil service eligibility,
performance rating, experience and outstanding accomplishments, physical
characteristics and personality traits and potential.
4.2 In the determination if the comparative competence and qualifications of the
candidates for appointment/promotion they shall be compared in the basis of the
following factors:
4.2.1 Performance- this shall be based on the last performance rating of the
employee prior to the date of the appointment.
4.2.2 Education and Training- These shall include educational background and
successful completion of accredited training, courses, scholarship, training
grants and others. Such education and training must be relevant to the duties
and functions of the position to be filled.
4.2.3 Experience and Outstanding Accomplishments- this shall include
occupational history, work experience and accomplishments worthy of
special commendation.
4.2.4 Physical Character and Personal Traits- these refer to the physical
fitness, attitudes and personality traits of the individual which must have a
bearing to the position to be filled.
4.2.5 Potential- this takes into account the employee’s capability not only to
perform the duties and assume the responsibilities of the position to be filled
but also those of a higher and more responsible positions.
 5. A Personnel Selection Board (PSB) for the first and second level positions is hereby
established, with the following composition:
a. Chairman- Governor or authorized representative
b. Members:
 Department Head of the department where the vacancy
exists
 PHRMO
 SP Chairman on Appropriation
 Representative of Minority Party
 Two representatives of the rank-in-file employees, one
from first level and one from second level, who shall
both be chosen by the duly accredited employee
association in the agency.
Pending accreditation of Albay Provincial Government Employees Union
(APGEU), the representatives shall be chosen at large by the employees through a general
assembly. The candidate who garnered the second highest vote shall automatically be the
alternative representative. Any other mode of selection may be conducted for the purpose.
The first level representative shall participate during the screening of candidates for
vacancy in the first level; the second level representative shall participate in the screening
of the candidates for vacancies in the second level. Both rank and file representatives shall
serve for a period of three (3) years. For continuity of operation, the employee association
may designate.
6. The personnel Selection Board en banc shall then assess/evaluate the qualification of
the candidates for promotion in accordance with this Merit Promotion Plan.
7. The Personnel Selection Board shall submit to the appointing authority the list of
candidates found to be qualified for appointment/promotion. The appointing authority,
on the basis of the list submitted, shall then choose who among the candidates he deems
competent to be appointed/promoted.
8. A notice announcing the appointment shall be posted on the bulletin board the PHRMO
within fifteen (15) days from the date of approval of appointment.

VI. PROTEST
1. A qualified next-in-rank employee may file his protest with the Civil Service
Commission where the protested appointment was acted upon, against such
appointment made in favour of another if he is not satisfied with the written special
reason/s given by the appointing authority for such appointment.
2. The protest shall be written ion clear, simple and concise language and in a systematic
manner and shall contain the following:
a) The position contested including its item number and the salary per annum;
b) The full name, office, position and salary per annum of both the protestant and
the protestee; and
c) The facts constituting the grounds for protest.
 3. The protest may be filed with the Civil Service Commission within fifteen (15) days
from notice by the protestant of the issuance of the appointment or promotion. The
protestant shall furnish the appointing authority or the office concerned a copy of his
protest and submit to the Commission proof of service thereof.
4. A protest is deemed filed in case the same is sent by registered mail, on the date shown
by the postmark on the envelope which shall be attached to the record of the case, and
in case of personal delivery, on the date stamped by the commission.
5. The appointing authority shall forward his comments and the records of the case to the
Commission within ten (100 days) from the receipt of the copy of the protest. The
records shall be systematically and chronologically arranged, paged and securely
bound to prevent loss and shall consist of the following:
a) Statement of duties or Job Description of the contested position; and
b) Duly accomplished and updated Personal Data Sheet of the parties with the
parties with certified statement of service record attached.
6. A protest shall not render an appointment ineffective but the same shall be subject to
the outcome of the protest.
7. A protest may be withdrawn at any time as a matter of right. The withdrawal of the
protest shall terminate the protest case.
8. A protest shall be dismissed in any of the following grounds:
a) The protestant is not next-in-rank
b) The protest is not directed against a particular protestee but to “anyone who is
appointed in the position” or directed to two or more protestees;
c) The protest is not in accordance with the required form as prescribed in this
Plan, such as telegram or radio message.
d) No appointment has actually been issued to the protestee or the appointment
has been disapproved by the CSC; and
e) The protest is filed after the fifteen (15) day reglementary period.
9. In case the protest is finally decided against the protestee, his appointment shall be
disapproved and he shall be reverted to his former position.

VII. REPONSIBILITY
The PHRMO shall be responsible for the publication and dissemination of copies
of this Merit Promotion Plan and System Ranking Positions including its Annexes after
approval thereof by the Civil Service Commission.

VIII. EFFECTIVITY
ThisMerit Promotion Plan and System ranking Positions shall take effect upon its
approval by the Civil Service Commission. Any subsequent changes in or amendments to
this Merit Promotion Plan shall be subject to the approval of the Civilk Service
Commission and shall take effect on July 1, 2001.

Legazpi City, April 30, 2001.