MANILA, (PIA) — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said public service is fundamentally woven into the DNA of government workers, when he honored exceptional civil servants Wednesday at the 2024 Outstanding Government Workers awards ceremony, marking the 124th anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service.
“We serve because we make a difference. We serve because it is in our DNA. We serve because we love the Philippines,” Marcos said during the event held at Malacañan Palace, where he also emphasized the nuanced nature of government service, describing it as “challenging, exciting, and rewarding” despite common perceptions of bureaucratic tedium.
The annual awards, established in 1959 and reinforced by Marcos’ father in 1975, recognize public servants who have made significant contributions to government efficiency and service delivery.
Marcos highlighted several awardees’ achievements:
- A municipal department head from Iloilo who transformed an abandoned fishpond into an eco-park, engaging over 1,000 volunteers to plant 150,000 mangroves.
- Pioneers of the Health Beyond Bars Program, providing healthcare and well-being activities for incarcerated individuals.
The president praised the quality of work demonstrated by the awardees, saying it “belies the general image of the civil servant as being a bit of a drudge and being not terribly imaginative.”
Marcos also acknowledged unrecognized civil servants, calling them an “army of people who are working quietly” to serve the country.
The ceremony featured three award categories: the Presidential Lingkod Bayan, the Civil Service Commission Pagasa, and the Dangal ng Bayan awards. Aside from the presidential plaque and gold-gilded medallion, an incentive of P200,000 was awarded to individual awardees, and P100,000 per member for group awardees.
Marcos concluded by urging government workers to remain transparent, accountable, and committed to serving with integrity, loyalty, and efficiency.
The event underscored the administration’s vision of a “Bagong Pilipinas” (New Philippines), aiming for a “prosperous, progressive, and equitable society.” (JCO/PIA-NCR)