STUDENTS who graduated with Latin honors through open distance learning programs may avail of civil service eligibility if they wish to pursue a career in the public sector, the Civil Service Commission said.

The CSC issued a resolution which extends the coverage for Honor Graduate Eligibility.

HGE is now available to bachelor’s degree graduates who earned distinctions as summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude in colleges and universities accredited by the Commission on Higher Education.

CSC chairperson Karlo Nograles said that the move was part of their recognition of the digitization in development in academic standards.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has sped up the adoption of digital technologies for learning, promoting accessible education despite the lockdown. By including honor graduates from open distance learning in the coverage of HGE, we recognize the role of digitalization in ushering progressive development in academic standards and honing future-ready civil servants,” Nograles said.

He said that extending the coverage of HGE was an idea of the University of the Philippines Open University.