Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This Bill aims to declare the conferment of a doctorate degree as equivalent to entry 
level Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) eligibility in the Civil Service. 
Section 3, B, Article IX of the 1987 Constitution provides: 
"The Civil Service Commission, as the central personnel agency of the 
Government, shall establish a career service and adopt measures to 
promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness, 
and courtesy in the civil service. It shall strengthen the merit and reward 
system, integrate all human resources development programs for all 
levels and ranks, and institutionalize a management climate conducive 
to public accountability…  
It envisions that appointments in the civil service be made only according to merit and 
fitness to be determined by competitive examination, except those positions which are 
policy determining, primarily confidential or highly technical. 
Pursuant to this, the Commission regularly conducts professional and sub-
professional examinations all over the country. With regard to executive positions in 
the civil service, appointments and promotions thereto require CESO eligibility. 
By virtue of Republic Act No. 1080, the bar examinations and the examinations given 
by the various boards of examiners of the Government are declared as civil service 
examinations. Hence, those who passed these examinations may be appointed into 
the civil service without the necessity of passing the civil service examinations, except 
those positions requiring highly specialized knowledge not covered by the ordinary 
board examinations. 
This Bill aims to grant the same, if not a more fitting privilege to holders of doctorate 
degrees recognizing their educational competence and fitness for appointment or 
promotion to executive positions in the civil service by reason of their having 
completed post-graduate studies which is equivalent to, if not more than passing the 
July 19, 2022
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bar or board examinations. This is to grant them, many of whom are academicians, 
the equal opportunity with CESO holders in terms of growth and career advancement 
in the civil service. 
The foregoing premises considered, the immediate passage of this Bill is earnestly 
sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
 MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE 
TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. HORIBATA 
NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____ 
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.,  
HON. MIGUEL LUIS R. VILLAFUERTE, HON. TSUYOSHI ANTHONY G. 
HORIBATA AND HON. NICOLAS ENCISO VIII 
AN ACT  
DELARING THE CONFERMENT OF A DOCTORATE DEGREE AS EQUIVALENT 
TO ENTRY LEVEL CAREER EXECUTIVE SERVICE OFFICER ELIGIBILITY IN 
THE CIVIL SERVICE 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. The conferment of a doctorate degree by an institution of higher learning 
duly accredited by the Commission on Higher Education is hereby declared as 
equivalent to entry level Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) eligibility in the civil 
service for purposes of appointment to executive positions in the classified service in 
the Government or any of its branches, subdivisions, instrumentalities and agencies 
including government-owned or controlled corporations with original charters, except 
with regard to positions requiring highly specialized knowledge not covered by the 
doctorate degree of the holder. 
SECTION 2. The registrars of other responsible officers of duly accredited colleges 
and universities offering doctorate degrees shall regularly furnish the Civil Service 
Commission with a list of graduates of their respective colleges or universities who 
have been conferred with doctorate degrees within sixty (60) days from conferment. 
SECTION 3. Eligibility shall commence on the date of conferment. Provided, that for 
those who have already been conferred doctorate degrees prior to the passage of this 
Act, their eligibility shall be deemed to commence from the approval hereof. 
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SECTION 4. The Civil Service Commission shall promulgate the rules and regulations 
to implement the provisions of this Act. 
 
SECTION 5. The Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after the completion of its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.  
 
Approved,