SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday urged the Civil Service Commission  to widen employment opportunities and improve examination access for senior high school graduates under the K-12 program.

During the Senate budget hearing for the CSC, Gatchalian said the government failed to comply with the K-12 law by not establishing clear standards for hiring K-12 graduates in government positions.

“When we shifted to K-12 in 2012 and produced senior high school graduates in 2021, it was the government that violated the K-12 law because we had no service standard for K-12 graduates,” Gatchalian said.

“We mandated Filipinos to complete K-12, yet the government itself was not hiring senior high school graduates,” he added.

CSC Chairperson Marilyn Yap said the commission has since amended its qualification standards for first-level positions to include junior and senior high school graduates.

These positions cover clerical, administrative support, trades and crafts, and custodial jobs.

However, Yap clarified that applicants must still take and pass the sub-professional civil service examination to qualify.

When asked about the exam’s passing rate, Gatchalian noted that only around 14 percent of takers pass, describing the figure as “too low.”

“It’s good that the exam is challenging to ensure quality, but 14 percent might be too low,” the senator said.

Yap admitted that many government agencies still prefer college graduates despite the updated qualification standards.

“That’s the painful part — unless we do some affirmative action and encourage agencies to hire these people,” she said.

According to the CSC, there are about 83,000 unfilled first-level government positions suitable for senior high school graduates.

Gatchalian recommended that the CSC conduct a comprehensive review of its employment system — from civil service examinations to contractual hiring and qualification standards — to ensure fair opportunities for K-12 graduates.

“My recommendation is to look at the entire continuum — from the examination process to contract-of-service hiring and senior high school qualifications. It all has to be connected,” he said.