CSC Issues Updated Rules on Appointments and Personnel Movements

Tacloban City–The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has approved the 2025 Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions (ORAOHRA) through Resolution No. 2500358, promulgated on 30 April 2025.

First adopted in 2017 under Resolution No. 1800692 (effective 26 August 2018), the ORAOHRA serves as the comprehensive guide on appointments, promotions, reassignments, and other personnel actions in the career service. Since then, the CSC has issued various amendments to address evolving administrative needs—such as adjustments to training requirements (Resolution No. 1900773) and streamlined procedures for agencies with PRIME-HRM accreditation (Resolution No. 1900898).

The 2025 ORAOHRA introduces further amendments to align government HR policies with relevant laws and respond to emerging challenges such as calamities, disasters, and pandemics.

Key Amendments in the 2025 ORAOHRA:

• May now apply suppletorily to third-level officials appointed by the President.
• Allows the use of certified electronic and digital signatures in compliance with DICT’s Philippine National Public Key Infrastructure (PNPKI).
• Requires only one original appointment form, with two certified true copies (CS Form No. 33-A for regulated agencies; CS Form No. 33-B for accredited/deregulated agencies).
• Accepts certified true copies, scanned copies, and screenshots of online eligibility verification (e.g., PRC, CSC, or Supreme Court systems) in lieu of authenticated certificates.
• If the appointing authority also chairs the HRMPSB, their signature alone suffices—no need for separate certification.
• Appointments may now take effect on weekends or holidays for 24/7 agencies or as allowed by law.
• Publication of anticipated vacancies due to retirement, resignation, or transfer may now be done up to 180 days in advance, up from 30 days.
• Provides a Filipino translation of the Oath of Office (Panunumpa sa Katungkulan).
• Reappointments (renewals) for contractual and casual positions now require CSC approval/validation, not just notation.
• Designees must meet the qualification standards for their designated positions.
• Clarifies qualification requirements for department head and assistant department head positions in local government units (LGUs).
• Updates the prohibition on nepotism, including clarifying illustrations for LGU appointments.

The revised rules also offer clearer definitions of HR terms, including standards for experience, training, and eligibility. Additionally, agencies must now include appropriate notations on the face of the appointment form before the space for CSC action or resolution.

The CSC urges all government agencies and HR officers to review the revised rules to ensure full compliance. 

The 2025 ORAOHRA takes effect 15 days after its publication on 18 July 2025 and can be accessed on the CSC website: www.csc.gov.ph.