'Let's be more positive with rightsizing'
The Philippine Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) has assured state workers that there will be no downsizing among its workforce following the administration's proposal of "rightsizing" government agencies and personnel.
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma made the assurance as public servants began expressing concerns that they might get retrenched due to the government's plan.
But according to the secretary, rightsizing may also mean simplifying office procedures, such as transferring talent from one office to another. He added that in the private sector, rightsizing means streamlining of processes and structural reforms.
"When you talk of streamlining, it's all about making work in a business easier and fruitful," said Laguesma in a statement. "On the other hand, structural reforms imply changes to the way the government works. I don't see downsizing of workforce in those definitions."
He also urged workers to be "more positive" of rightsizing, stressing that DOLE would remain loyal to its mandate of promoting the rights of employees.
"Let's be more positive with rightsizing where the possibility of transferring or even hiring of more people by a government with lots of tasks to perform is very high," said Laguesma. "Whatever happens, DOLE would always champion the security and safety of our workers, whether they are government servants or employees of private institutions."
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman previously said the proposal of rightsizing government agencies and personnel seeks to make bureaucracy "agile and responsive." It also aims to fix agencies with repetitive or overlapping functions.
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The Civil Service Commission (CSC) said it understands the challenges brought about by pandemic and expressed support for the plan.
"The Commission supports any move that would ensure greater efficiency in public sector administration and build an agile and future-ready civil service," said CSC in a statement.
"The Commission assures everyone that it will thoroughly study any proposed legislation on rightsizing the bureaucracy, and provide its inputs, with the welfare of civil servants and the effective delivery of service to the public as its primordial considerations."
The proposed rightsizing may affect about two million personnel, according to the DBM, from 187 government agencies as well as government-owned and -controlled corporations.
Exempted from this rightsizing proposal are teaching and teaching-related positions, medical and allied medical positions, as well as the military and other uniformed personnel.
