Article 157p. 157

ADMINISTRATIVE CODE AND LAW OF PUBLIC OFFICERS TEXT AND RULES

it is not vacant, said position shall be included in the next

budget of the office; except when the creation of a new

position will result in distortion in the organizational

structure of the department, office or agency. Where

there is no next higher position immediately available, a

salary increase equivalent to the next higher position

shall be given and incorporated in the base pay. When a

new position is created, that which is vacated shall be

deemed abolished.

The grants of awards shall be governed by the merit

and fitness principle.

SECTION 4. (a) The System shall be administered by a

Committee on Awards for Outstanding Public Officials

and Employees composed of:

(1) Ombudsman - Co-Chairman

(2) Chairman, CSC - Co-Chairman

(3) Chairman, COA - Member

(4) Two (2) Government

Employees to be Appointed

by the President - Members

(b) For this purpose, the Committee shall perform the

following functions and responsibilities:

(1)

Conduct

a

periodic,

continuing

review

of

performance

of

officials

and

employees

in

all

departments, offices and agencies;

(2)

Establish

a

system of annual incentives and

rewards to the end that due recognition is given to

officials and employees of outstanding merit on the basis

of standards set forth in Section 2, Rule V hereof;

(3) Determine the form of rewards to be granted;

(4) Formulate and adopt its own rules to govern the

conduct of its activities, which shall include guidelines for

evaluating nominees, the mechanism for recognizing the

awardees

in

public ceremonies and the creation of

sub-committees.

(c) In the evaluation of nominees, the Committee may

be

assisted

by

technical

experts

selected from the

government and the private sectors.

SECTION 5. The Civil Service Commission shall provide

secretariat services to the Committee.

SECTION 6. Nothing herein provided shall inhibit any

department, office or agency from instituting its own

rewards program in addition to those provided by, but

not inconsistent with, these Rules.

SECTION 7. The budget to cover all expenses in the

implementation of this Rule shall be incorporated in the

appropriation of the Civil Service Commission.

RULE

VI

Duties

of

Public

Officials

and

Employees

SECTION 1. As a general rule, when a request or

petition, whether written or verbal, can be disposed of

promptly and expeditiously, the official or employee in

charge to whom the same is presented shall do so

immediately,

without discrimination, and in no case

beyond fifteen (15) working days from receipt of the

request or petition.

SECTION 2. In departments, offices or agencies that

are usually swamped with persons calling for a particular

type of service, the head of the department, office or

agency shall devise a mechanism so as to avoid long

queues, such as by giving each person a ticket number

duly countersigned which shall specify the time and the

date when the person, whose name and address shall be

indicated, can be served without delay. Said person shall

have the right to prompt service upon presentation of

said ticket number.

SECTION 3. In case of written requests, petitions, or

motions, sent by means of letters, telegrams, or the like,

the official or employee in charge shall act on the same

within fifteen (15) working days from receipt thereof,

provided that:

(a) If the communication is within the jurisdiction of

the office or agency, the official or employee must:

(1) Write a note or letter of acknowledgment where

the matter is merely routinary or the action desired may

be acted upon in the ordinary course of business of the

department, office or agency, specifying the date when

the matter will be disposed of and the name of the

official or employee in charge thereof.

(2) Where the matter is non-routinary or the issues

involved are not simple or ordinary, write a note or letter

of

acknowledgment,

informing

the

interested

party,

petitioner or correspondent of the action to be taken or

when such requests, petitions or motions can be acted

upon.

Where

there

is

a

need to submit additional

information, requirements, or documents, the note or

letter of acknowledgment shall so state, specifying a

reasonable period of time within which they should be

submitted, and the name of the particular official or

employee in charge thereof. When all the documents or

requirements have been submitted to the satisfaction of

the

department,

office

or

agency

concerned,

the

particular official or employee in charge shall inform the

interested

party,

petitioner,

or correspondent of the

action to be taken and when such action or disposition

can be expected, barring unforeseen circumstances.

(b) If communication is outside its jurisdiction, the

official or employee must:

(1)

Refer

the

letter,

petition, telegram, or verbal

request to the proper department, office or agency.

(2) Acknowledge the communication by means of a

note or letter, informing the interested party, petitioner,

or correspondent of the action taken and attaching a

copy of the letter of referral to the proper department,

office or agency.

The department, office and agency to which the

letter, petition, telegram or verbal request was referred for

appropriate action must take action in accordance with

subsection (a), pars. 1 and 2 hereof.

The

period

of

fifteen

(15)

working

days

herein

provided shall be counted from the date of receipt of the

written or verbal communication by the department,

office or agency concerned.

SECTION 4. All official papers and documents must

be processed and completed within a reasonable time

from the preparation thereof. Reasonable time shall be

determined in accordance with the following rules:

(a) When the law or the applicable rule issued in

accordance therewith prescribes a period within which a

decision is to be rendered or an action taken, the same

shall be followed;

(b) When the law or the applicable rule issued in

accordance therewith does not prescribe a period, the

head of department, office or agency shall issue rules and

regulations prescribing, among other things, what is

reasonable

time,

taking

into

account

the

following

factors:

(1) Nature, simplicity or complexity of the subject

matter of the official papers or documents processed by

said department, office or agency;

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