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13TH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
S. No. 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In the process of building and strengthening the nation, the Philippines must develop and 
nurture culture and the arts in both the public and the private sectors of society. In the public 
sector, a significant and growing part of the career service consists of persons with special talents 
in the different fields of art, including music, literature, visual arts, films and media arts, 
architecture, theater and dance. 
This bill proposes that artists be encouraged to pursue civil service careers through (a) the 
recognition by law that the evidence of their talent and the ways they have developed it should be 
the principal bases for the selection, appointment, promotion and other personnel movement of 
artists; and (b) the creation of the Artists Career Service (ACS) for the very best of these artist 
civil servants. 
The first objective of this bill is to structure the career path of artists and their promotion 
and rewards system so that it is based primarily on their differing levels of talent and creativity. 
This should be done for artists who are just starting out in their career as well as those who are at 
its pinnacle. 
The second objective is to create an Artist Career Service and thus address a problem 
faced by the most accomplished among the artists in the civil service. These artists frequently 
attain the highest grades in the civil service only by leaving their craft and becoming 
administrators. This ,situation affects artistic units in the bureaucracy negatively in that they 
become managed by artists who are not good administrators or who do not enjoy administrative 
work. Meanwhile the civil service loses their services as artists and the society at large suffers as 
the contribution of these persons to art decreases in both quantity and quality. 
The Artist Career Service will provide career progression for the best artists by conferring 
on them appropriate rank rather than position. The ACS is closely patterned after the Scientific 
Career System where scientists ascend the career ladder as scientists rather than as 
administrators. Like the personnel systems of the foreign service, the armed forces, the faculties 
of different state universities and colleges, and the scientific career service, the ACS will be a 
closed career system. Under our civil service system, a closed career service may be established 
for a sector of the bureaucracy which has special characteristics that set it apart from other 
personnel and the regular run of career services in the country. Under the Artist Career Service, 
therefore, artists shall have different bases and processes of recruitment, promotion, demotion, 
career progression, recognition and reward and other aspects of personnel development. 
Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that, like all other career services, whether closed 
or open, the Artist Career Service shall follow the requirements set forth by the Administrative 
Code of 1987, Book V, Subtitle A, Chapter 2, Sec. 7 in that it shall be composed of personnel 
whose entrance into the civil service is based on merit and fitness who have the opportunity for 
advancement to a higher position, and who shall enjoy security of tenure. 
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It is earnestly hoped that this bill shall be passed into law as 
ssible. 
MANUEL B. ILLAR, JR. 
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13TH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
S. No. 
INTRODUCED BY HON. MANUEL B. VILLAR JR. 
AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE ARTISTS CAREER SERVICE, RECOGNIZING THE 
SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS OF ARTISTS IN GOVERNMENT9 PROVIDING FUNDS 
THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION. 1. 
Statement ofPoZicy. - It shall be the policy of the State, in pursuance of the 
national interest, nation-building and cultural development, to support and encourage the 
development of culture and the arts, to attract artists into the public service and to provide a 
system for the recognition and reward of artistic performance, productivity and creativity within 
the context of service within government. 
SEC. 2. 
Artists Career Service. - Ln accordance with the provision of Section 1 hereof, the 
Artists Career Service, hereinafter referred to as the Service, is hereby created as one of the 
closed career services of the civil service. 
SEC. 3. 
Definition and Character. - 
(1) 
The Artists Career Service is a system of recruitment, career progression, recognition 
and reward of artists in the public service, and a means of selecting, developing and retaining a 
pool of highly qualified and productive artists personnel. Members of the Service, from the first, 
second and third levels, shall be granted eligibilities corresponding to the regular career service. 
(2) Characteristics of the Service. 
The Service shall be characterized by: 
(a) 
artistic performances and creativity; 
Entrance and career progression or advancement based on qualifications, merit and 
(b) 
Career paths that shall allow artists to develop within their respective areas of 
expertise without leaving their status as artists to provide them opportunities for 
advancement to a higher position within the Service; 
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Incentives and rewards which ensure attraction and retention of highly qualified 
manpower in culture and the arts; and 


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Security of tenure. 
SEC. 4. 
Coverage. - The Service shall include personnel who have been recognized as 
having talent in at least one of the fields of culture and the arts and who occupy positions in 
government directly involved in the creation, performance, presentation and development of 
artistic work in six (6) categories of art, namely: music, literature, visual arts, film and media 
arts, theatre and dance. 
The Service shall embrace the artists personnel of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the 
National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and other units and agencies of the national 
government, local governments, public enterprises and other branches or instrumentalities of 
government that are engaged in culture and the arts and practitioners of traditional and 
indigenous arts. 
SEC. 5. 
be the criteria for appointment to and advancement in the Service: 
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panel; 
(b) 
Education and productivity - Education shall refer to academic attainment of at least 
two (2) years at the Bachelor’s level from a college or university of recognized standing, or 
two (2) years of specialized training and/or experience. Productivity shall refer to significant 
output and contributions to relevant fields of the arts, including the production of works in 
the case of visual arts, or publication of literary work and training of young talents. For 
purposes of this Act, education and productivity may be used as alternative or complementary 
qualifications. 
Criteria of Appointment to and Advancement in the Service. - The following shall 
Talent - shall be determined through auditions or evaluation by the respective artistic 
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Artistic standing - shall refer to the level of acceptance and recognition of a person in 
the artistic community in terms of artistic, moral and ethical integrity, as indicated by awards, 
publications, exhibitions and similar forms of recognition. 
SEC. 6. 
Artists Career Service Board. - The Artists Career Service Board, hereinafter 
referred to as the Board, is hereby established to administer the Service. It shall be headed by the 
Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission as chairperson, and shall have the following as 
members: the chairperson of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the president of 
the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the president of the University of the Philippines, At 
the initial meeting ofthe members, they shall recommend three (3) artists of national renown to 
sit with them as regular members of the Board. In no case shall any two (2) of them be from the 
same field of the arts. These artists shall serve for a term of three (3) years: Provided, That in 
the initial term of the Board, one (1) member shall serve for three (3) years, the second for two 
(2) years and the third for one (1) year. Thereafter, the Board shall choose one (1) member each 
year: Provided, further, That such member shall come from an art field not then represented in 
the Board. No artist shall serve in the Board for more than two (2) consecutive terms, 


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The members of the Board shall receiveper diems and allowances for meetings attended. 
The Board shall have a secretariat, headed by an executive director, which shall provide the 
support services to the Board as well as administer and implement its policies and programs. 
The Board shall be attached to the Civil Service Commission for policy and program 
coordination. 
SEC. 7. 
and functions: 
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three (3) levels of theservice for approval by the Civil Service Commission; 
Powers and Functions ofthe Board. - The Board shall have the following powers 
Formulate norms for assessing merit and fitness for entrance and advancement into the 
(b) 
(6) categories of artists recognized by the Service; 
(c) 
Create special artistic panels in the following fields of specialization: literature, music, 
visual arts, film and media arts, theater and dance. Each artistic panel shall be composed of 
three (3) members who are recognized in their respective fields and who shall serve for a 
term of two (2) years on a staggered basis. In the first year of implementation, two (2) 
members shall be appointed for two (2) years and one (1) member shall be appointed for one 
(1) year. No person may serve for more than two (2) consecutive terms; 
(d) 
Grant the appropriate eligibility to qualified artists based on the 
the artistic panel and submit the names to the Civil Service Commission; 
Establish a system of ranks for the third level which shall be comparable across the six 
recommendation of 
(e) 
SEC. 8. 
(a) 
The heads of agencies or local government units where the artists are employed or to 
be employed shall submit to the Board the names of candidates for appointment and/or 
advancement in the Service; 
Maintain a roster of artists appointed to the Service. 
Appointment and Advancement in the Sewice. - 
(b) 
The Board shall designate the appropriate artistic panel to assess the candidates; 
The artistic panel shall evaluate the qualifications of the candidates and recommend the 
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appropriate action to the Board; and 
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SEC. 9. 
Tenure. - Any person appointed to the service shall be on probation for a period of 
one (1) year after which he or she will be recommended for tenure or removal by the artistic 
panel. Such action shall be based on criteria enumerated in Section 5 of this Act. Such 
recommendation to grant or withhold tenure shall be reviewed by the Artists Career Service 
Board who shall endorse the same for final approval by the Civil Service Commission. 
No person covered by the Service shall be divested of, or demoted in rank except for cause as 
provided by law. 
The Board shall act on the recommendations of the artistic panel. 


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SEC. 10. 
Training and Development. - The Civil Service Commission, the Artists Career 
Service Board and the agencies concerned shall provide for a continuing program of training and 
development for artists personnel in the government service. 
SEC. 11. 
Salary Schedule. - The ranking system and salary schedule for the artists appointed 
to the Service shall be prepared by the Board in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 
No. 6758 or the Salary Standardization Law. 
SEC. 12. 
Applicability ofthe Civil Service Law. - The provisions of the Civil Service Law 
and the rules and regulations issued by the Civil Service Commission shall be applicable to the 
Artists Career Service. 
SEC. 13. 
Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The implementing rules and regulations for 
the proper implementation of this Act shall be jointly promulgated by the National Commission 
for Culture and the Arts, Cultural Center of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines, the 
Civil Service Commission, and the Department of Budget and Management, not later than ninety 
(90) days after the approval of this Act. 
SEC. 14. 
Appropriations. - Such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of 
this Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment 
into law and thereafter. 
SEC. 15. 
invalid or unconstitutional, such shall not invalidate any other section or provision of this Act. 
SEC. 16. 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
SEC. 17. 
OfJicial Gazette or one major newspapers of national circulation, whichever comes earlier. 
Approved, 
Separability Clause. - If any section or provision of this Act shall be declared 
Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, orders, issuances, or parts thereof which are 
Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen days after its publication in the