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Republic of the Philippines Vi >
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES / RECEIVED 2)
Quezon City Sone HAY 39 2010
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS BY:
Second Regular Session % S
Ko,
<NDEX.

HOUSE BILL NO. 7808

Introduced by Representatives Ron P. Salo and Ciriaco S. Calalang
KABAYAN Partylist

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A MAGNA CARTA FOR THE STATISTICAL, CIVIL
REGISTRATION AND PHILIPPINE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM
WORKERS OF THE PHILIPPINES, AUTHORIZING THE COLLECTION
AND APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Section 2 of Republic Act No. 10625 otherwise known as the “Philippine Statistical
Act of 2013” declares, among others:

“x x x in order to rationalize and promote efficiency and
effectiveness in the delivery of statistical services, maintain an
integrated statistical system services, maintain an integrated
statistical system characterized by independence, objectivity and
integrity so as to enhance responsiveness to the requirements of
equitable national development, promote the orderly development
of a statistical system capable of providing timely, accurate and
useful data for the government and the public, and support
decentralization through the establishment of the statistical
infrastructure necessary to service the statistical needs of local
development planning.”

Relatedly, the Philippine Identification System Act also declares, among
others:

“x xX x to promote seamless delivery of service, to improve the
efficiency, transparency, and targeted delivery of public and social
services, to enhance administrative governance, to reduce


corruption and curtail bureaucratic red tape, to avert fraudulent
transactions and misrepresentations, to strengthen financial
inclusion, and to promote ease of doing business. Towards this
end, a resilient digital system shall be deployed to secure the data
collected and ensure that the people's right to privacy,
Confidentiality and other basic rights are at all times upheld and
Protected.”

These statues unequivocally recognize statistical, civil registration and
identification systems are essential elements for the attainment of ensuring a
sustained national development and progress.

However, there are a lot of issues confronting the Philippine statistical, civil
registration and identification systems. To cite a few are the lack of attractive
compensation and benefits package, and well-pronounced and adequately funded
Programs directed towards human resources development in statistical, civil
registration and Philippine identification sectors which had become the primary
reasons for the fast pacing turn-over of our talented and Promising assets of the
government to the private companies.

Another challenge is a dearth number of higher education institutions offering
Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys sectors related degree programs and trainings
that contributed to the limited graduates who can be tapped by the government as
managers, statisticians, researchers, technical experts, and technicians. Only few of
our high school graduates consider statistical, civil registration and PhilSys related
degree programs as their course and craft due to its high cost and limited availability
of scholarship support from the government.

The current initiatives of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) should further
be enhanced in our desire to promote and sustain a culture of relevant, reliable and
responsive statistical, civil registration and Philippine identification that the Philippines
should possess as an emerging tiger economy in Asia.

Our statistical, civil registration and Philippine identification sectors workers
are exposed to hazardous elements and hostile environment in the Performance of
their avowed duties and services to the Filipino people. Moreover, we are living
witnesses that statistical, civil registration and Philippine identification system
(SCRIPS) personnel are among the first to respond before and after the occurrence
of disasters despite the immeasurable risks to their lives and loved ones.

It is recognized that statistical and civil registration had contributed substantial
amount to the coffers of the national government. With this, it is but just and proper
that our statistical, civil registration and PhilSys personnel part take the fruits from
these successful undertakings in recognition to their diligence and commitment in the
Processing, evaluation and monitoring of statistical data, civil registration documents
and Philippine ID to every Filipino. However, despite these immense er


little effort has been exerted to address the plight of our statistical, civil registration
and PhilSys workers.

We need a reservoir of talent and manpower that will sustain our drive for
accessible, reliable, real time and sustainable statistical, civil registration and PhilSys
in various parts and sectors of the society. This noble bill is expected to ensure a
reservoir of talent who are adequately provided with compensation and benefits at
par with the private sector, a well-pronounced, defined and sufficiently funded
scholarship programs and other measures that shall address the issues confronting
the human resources of the statistical, civil registration and PhilSys sectors.

In addition, the full implementation of the PhilSys translates to unprecedented
increases of services that the PSA shall cater hence, this bill would complement with
the necessity of enhancing its capacity by mandating, among others, the creation of
additional Deputy National Statisticians, transfer of the administrative and operational
management, control and supervision of the Local Civil Registrars and their staff from
the Local Government Units (LGUs) to PSA, and for the Local Chief Executives to
provide or donate adequate lots owned by their respective LGUs to be exclusively
used for the construction of buildings and structures and operations of the Field
Offices (Regional, Provincial, District or Satellite Offices) to be located in various
administrative regions and districts in the Philippines. The Office of the President,
DBM and Congress of the Philippines shall ensure sufficient funding for the
construction of PSA buildings and structures including the hiring of personnel
necessary for the planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation of statistical, civil
registration, and PhilSys programs, projects, activities as well as the implementation
of this noble legislation.

Therefore, the passage of this bill is strongly recommended.

dllevs oS Catnip


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 7808

Introduced by Representatives Ron P. Salo and Ciriaco S. Calalang
KABAYAN Partylist

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A MAGNA CARTA FOR THE STATISTICAL, CIVIL
REGISTRATION AND PHILIPPINE IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM
WORKERS OF THE PHILIPPINES, AUTHORIZING THE COLLECTION
AND APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. — This Act shall be known as the “Magna Carta for the
Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine Identification System Workers of the
Philippines” or “Magna Carta for SCRIPS Workers in the Philippines.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes statistical, civil
registration and Philippine identification system as essential elements for the
attainment of sustained national development and progress. To attain this objective,
it is hereby declared the policy of the State to provide for a program of human
resources development in statistical, civil registration and Philippine identification
system sectors to achieve and maintain the necessary reservoir of talent and
manpower that will sustain its drive for accessible, affordable and sustainable
Statistical, civil registration and Philippine Identification system (PhilSys) services in
various parts and sectors of the society.

The State shall establish, promote and support programs leading to the
realization of this objective, such as scholarship programs, improvement of the quality
Of statistical, civil registration and Philippine identification system education,
popularization and sustainability of statistical, civil registration and identification


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culture, and provision of incentives for pursuing careers in statistical, civil registration
and identification system and its allied degree programs.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms.

(a) CSC — refers to Civil Service Commission created pursuant to Article IX-B

of the 1987 Philippine Constitution headed by a Chairperson

(b) DBM — refers to Department of Budget and Management created pursuant

to Executive Order No. 25 dated April 25, 1936, as amended, headed by a
Secretary.

(c) NEDA - refers to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)

created pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 107, s. 1973, as amended,
headed by a Director General equivalent to a Department Secretary

(d) Philippine Statistics Authority or PSA — refers to the Agency created and

(€) Statistical, Civil

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headed by a National Statistician and Civil Registrar General which is
attached on policy coordination to the NEDA pursuant to Republic Act No.
10625 otherwise known as the “Philippine Statistical Act of 2013”.

‘egistration and Philippine Identification System (SCRIPS)
Programs, Activities and Projects — all systematic programs, activities and
projects which are closely concerned with the generation or gathering,
processing, presentation and dissemination of statistical data and results,
processing and delivery of civil registration documents, and the processing
of issuance and renewal of identification (ID) cards of every Filipino citizens
pursuant to existing laws, and all undertakings that are necessary for the
proper, effective and efficient implementation of the Philippine Statistical
Development Program (PSDP) formulated by the PSA Board, Philippine
Civil Registration Program (PCRP) and the Philippine Identification System
Program (PISP) formulated by the PSA, and duly approved by the
President of the Philippines.

Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine Identification System (SCRIPS)
Workers or Personnel — shall be composed of personnel as classified
below:

1. Statistical Workers — refers to all officials and personnel of the PSA who
are directly responsible in the planning, formulation, processing,
execution, monitoring and evaluation of statistical programs, activities
and projects including the Philippine Statistical Research and Training
Institute (PSRTI);

2. Civil Registration Workers — refers to all officials and personnel of the
PSA and the Local Civil Registrars and their respective staff, whose
administrative and operational management, control and supervision
shall be transferred from Local Government Units (LGUs) to the PSA, |,


and who are directly responsible in the planning, formulation,
Processing, execution, monitoring and evaluation of civil registration
Programs, activities and projects and as defined in applicable laws,
rules and regulations;

3. PhilSys Workers — refers to all officials and personnel of PSA and other
government agencies who are directly responsible in the planning,
formulation, processing, execution, monitoring and evaluation of
PhilSys programs, activities and projects and as defined in applicable
laws, rules and regulations; and

4. Associate Workers — refers to the personnel who are outsourced
workers hired by service providers duly organized pursuant to existing
laws including faculty members of State Universities and Colleges
(SUCs), and Local State Universities (LUCs) whose primary duties to
assist the workers above.

SEC. 4. Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine Identification System
Workers of the Philippines Career System. — A career system for statistical, civil
registration and PhilSys workers or personnel in the service of the government shall
be formulated by the PSA in coordination with the CSC.

SEC. 5. Classification of Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine
Identification System Workers of the Philippines Personnel. — Statistical, civil
registration and PhilSys workers or personnel may be classified in the following
categories:

(2) Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine Identification System
Managers, Supervisors, Policy-makers, and Planners. — Those who are
graduate degree holders or have at least two (2) years of managerial and
Supervisory experience or are performing executive, managerial, planning
and policy-making functions to effectively carry out the statistical, civil
registration and PhilSys related activities and projects as defined in Section
3(C) of this Act.

Provided, That for personnel who occupy third level positions,
comprised of above Division Chief to Deputy National Statistician and their
equivalents, must be appointed by the President of the Philippines to the
appropriate Career Executive Service Officer (CESO) rank in accordance
to the pertinent policies and regulations promulgated by the Career
Executive Service Board (CESB);

(b) Members of the Statistical, Civil Registration and PhilSys career system;

(c) Researchers. — Those who are at least undergraduate or bachelor’s degree
holders in any of the statistics, research, information and communication
technology (ICT), engineering, law, public administration, economics,
social sciences, psychology, humanities, education, management and

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‘such allied fields and are involved in the conduct of data generation or
gathering, processing and statistical, civil registration and PhilSys activities
and projects as defined under Section 3(c) of the act including those
engaged in research and development on statistical, civil registration and
PhilSys; and

(d) Technicians, Enumerators, Associates and related Statistical, Civil
Registration and Philippine Identification System Personnel. - Those who
obtained at least twelve (12) units in statistics, research, information and
communication technology (ICT), engineering, law, public administration,
economics, social sciences, psychology, humanities, education,
management and such allied fields and allied courses or any appropriate
training as determined by the National Statistician and Civil Registrar
General and are providing administrative and support services to
Statistical, Civil Registration and PhilSys officials and personnel
enumerated in the three (3) preceding sub-sections.

SEC. 6. Salaries. — The existing law on salary scales of government
employees shall not apply in determining the salary scale of statistical, civil
registration and PhilSys personnel as defined in Section 5 of this Act. A new salary
scale shall be developed by the PSA in consultation with the DBM and CSC, subject
to the approval of the President of the Philippines.

SEC. 7. Other Benefits. — Notwithstanding Section 12 of Republic Act No.
6758, statistical, civil registration and PhilSys personnel defined under Section 5 of
this Act shall receive the following:

(a) Honorarium. — Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys personnel who
rendered services beyond the established regular workload and whose
broad and superior knowledge, expertise or professional standing in a
specific field contributes to productivity and innovativeness shall be entitled
to receive honorarium subject to rules to be set by the PSA.

The Chairpersons, Vice Chairpersons, Members and Secretariat of
governing boards or technical committees of the PSA created by law and
regulations such as, but not limited to, the Philippine Statistical Board,
Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute and such committees
duly created by the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General under
Republic Act No. 10625, PhilSys Policy and Coordinating Council (PSPCC)
created under the Philippine Identification System Act, and applicable laws
shall be entitled to reasonable honorarium as prescribed by the DBM, and
reimbursement of actual expenses incurred for their attendance during
meetings, seminars, conferences and official functions subject to usual
accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

(b) Share from Government Shares, Fees and Charges from Supervision
and Regulation. — Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys personnel shall
be entitled to receive share from government shares, fees and charges

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from supervision and regulation subject to guidelines of the NEDA Director
General upon the recommendation by the National Statistician and Civil
Registrar General. At least five percent (5%) of the total collections from
government shares, fees and charges shall be retained to be exclusively
used or utilized to support the financial requirements on the implementation
of this Act for the personnel involved in statistical, civil registration and
PhilSys programs, activities and projects which has been produced or
undertaken during the regular performance of their functions.

For the purpose of this Act, the collection shall refer to the sum
charged and collected from acknowledgements, _ applications,
certifications, endorsements, processing fees, violation fines/penalties and
other reasonable payments in connection with the enforcement of
statistical, civil registration and PhilSys laws and implementation of related
programs, activities and projects thereof;

(c) Hazard Allowance. - Statistical, civil registration and Philippine
identification system personnel involved in hazardous undertakings or
assigned in hazardous workplaces to conduct periodic data gathering,
processing of requests, inspection, evaluation and monitoring of statistical,
civil registration and PhilSys related projects and activities shall be paid
hazard allowances ranging from ten (10%) to thirty (30%) percent of their
monthly basic salary depending on the nature and extent of the hazard
involved. The following shall be considered hazardous workplaces:

(1) Radiation-exposed laboratories and service workshops;

(2) Remote/depressed areas;

(3) Areas declared under a state of calamity or emergency;

(4) Strife-torn or embattled areas;

(5) Laboratories and other disease-infested areas;

(6) Electrical machine and mechanical rooms;

(7) Pressure vessels and other steam generating facilities; and

(8) Areas, establishments or Statistical, civil registration and Philippine
identification system and related facilities where statistical, civil
registration and Philippine identification system personnel or inspectors
or monitoring teams are directly or imminently exposed to hazardous
vapors, products and toxic fumes (substances).

(d) Subsistence Allowance. — Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys

personnel shall be entitled to full subsistence allowance equivalent to three
(3) meals a day, which may be computed and implemented in accordance


with the criteria to be provided in the implementing rules and regulations
hereof. Those assigned out of their regular work stations shall be entitled
to per diem in place of the allowance;

(e) Laundry Allowance. — Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys personnel
who are required to wear a prescribed uniform during office hours shall be
entitled to a laundry allowance of not less than One hundred fifty pesos
(Php150.00) a month;

(f) Housing and Quarter Allowance. — Statistical, civil registration and
PhilSys personnel who are on duty in laboratories, statistical, civil
registration and Philippine ID system offices and research and
development centers and other government facilities shall be entitled to
free living quarters within the government facility where they are stationed:
Provided, That the personnel have their residence outside of the fifty (50)-
kilometer radius from such government facility;

(g) Longevity Pay. - A monthly longevity pay equivalent to five percent (5%)
of the monthly basic salary shall be paid to statistical, civil registration and
Philippine identification system personnel for every five (5) years of
continuous and meritorious service as determined by the National
Statistician and Civil Registrar General;

(h) Medical Examination. — During the tenure of their employment, statistical,
civil registration and PhilSys personnel shall be given a compulsory free
medical examination once a year and immunization as the case may
warrant. The medical examination shall include:

(1) Complete physical examination;

(2) Routine laboratory, Chest X-ray and ECG;
(3) Psychometric examination;

(4) Dental Examination;

(5) Drug Test; and

(6) Other indicated examination authorized by the National Statistician and
Civil Registrar General,

(

Family and Home Visit Allowance. — To further enhance the recruitment
process and mobility of statistical, civil registration and PhilSys personnel,
a monthly family and home visit allowance shall be provided to statistical,
civil registration and PhilSys personnel comprised of free transportation
during Saturdays and Sundays or Holidays only. Provided, That the
personnel have their residence outside of the fifty (50)- kilometer radius
from work assignment;


(@) Incremental Performance-Based Bonus. - Statistical, civil registration
and PhilSys personnel shall be provided of at least twenty (20%) percent
additional performance-based bonus if the total annual agency
accomplishment has surpassed by one hundred (100%) percent during the
period covered as verified by the DBM;

(k) Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA). — Statistical, civil registration
and PhilSys personnel shall be given the right to enter into Collective
Negotiation Agreements including the grant of benefits thereof in
accordance with applicable rules and regulations. Provided, That for
employees of Local Government Units and outsourced service providers,
the CNA may only be granted upon showing of the agency’s/institution's
fiscal and financial viability;

() Hardship Allowance. — Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys workers
who performed physical work performed in hazardous environments such
as, the data gathering, conduct of inspections, evaluation and monitoring
of statistical, civil registration and PhilSys related activities and projects be
covered by Hardship Allowance of Five Hundred Pesos (Php500.00) per
day;

(m) Maternity or Paternity Leave. — Subject to rules and regulations
promulgated jointly by the PSA and CSC, statistical, civil registration and
PhilSys workers, both public and private, shall be granted of one hundred
(150) days leave, with full pay based on average weekly or regular wages,
regardless if the delivery was normal or caesarian.

Subject to the approval by the National Statistician and Civil
Registrar General, an additional maternity leave of thirty (30) days, without
Pay, can be availed of, at the option of the employee.

(n) Annual Performance on Awards and Incentives for Service
Excellence (PRAISE). — Subject to applicable laws and CSC rules and
regulations, each official and personnel of the statistical, civil registration
and Philippine identification system shall be entitled to annual PRAISE both
monetary and non-monetary subject to the implementing guidelines as the
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General may Prescribe and duly
approved by the CSC; and

(0) Paalam-Salamat and Send-off Incentives. — Subject to applicable laws
and CSC rules and regulations, each retiring official and personnel of the
statistical, civil registration and PhilSys shall be entitled to Paalam-Salamat
and Send-off Incentive in the amount of not less than One Hundred
Thousand Pesos (Php100,000.00) per retiree, regardless of position,
subject to the implementing guidelines as the National Statistician and Civil
Registrar General may prescribe and duly approved by the CSC.


(p) People’s Transparency and Freedom of Information (PTFOI)
Processing Incentives. - Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys workers
who are involved or assigned to and obtained consistent at least very
satisfactory performance in the processing of related transactions and
requests under people's transparency and freedom of information shall be
entitled to PTFOI Processing Incentive.

Provided, That the amounts of the benefits or incentives provided above shall
be indexed to the inflation as the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General may
determine duly approved by the DBM.

SEC. 8. Non-PSA Personnel. — Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys
personnel not employed by the PSA such as, but not limited to, outsourced personnel
as defined under Section 3 hereof who are involved in statistical, civil registration and
PhilSys activities and projects including the officials and faculty members of State
Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), under
Section 10 of this Act, may avail of the benefits under this Act upon certification of the
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General.

SEC. 9. Scholarships and Grants. — Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys
personnel in public and private sectors shall be entitled to avail of scholarship benefits
and grants pursuing undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate or training courses in
accordance with a Scholarship Program to be implemented by the PSA. Grantees of
the program may study within the Philippines or abroad provided that the PSA shall
provide strict measures to ensure their return to the country to render the service
obligation.

Recipients of undergraduate scholarships shall, after graduation, be required
to render service in the government for the equivalent number of years that they
availed of their scholarships. However, in case where there are no available positions
in the government, they may be allowed to work in the private sector.

Scholarship privileges may be on a full-time or part-time basis and shall include
tuition fee, book allowance, transportation allowance, monthly stipend, dissertation
grants, insurance and the payment of regular salary and other benefits.

For this purpose, the Human Resource Development Council created under
Republic Act No. 8248 shall formulate the rules and regulations to implement the
Scholarship Program provided in this Act.

SEC. 10. Offering of Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine
Identification System of the Philippines Related Degree Programs and
Trainings in Higher Education Institutions. — To further enhance the
implementation of the policies under Section 2 of this Act, offering of statistical, civil
registration and identification system related degree programs shall be mandatory to
State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) with mandates and curricular offerings or
programs provided in their respective Charters that include, among others, statistics,
‘safety and security, science and technology. Other Local Universities and Colleges


(LUCs) including private higher education institutions shall also be encouraged to
offer statistical, civil registration and identification system related degree programs.

To fully implement this provision, SUCs/LUCs Offering statistical, civil
registration and identification system related programs shall be entitled to automatic
additional budget of not less than five (5%) percent of their respective annual
appropriations to be used for the personnel services, MOOE and capital outlay
necessary to ensure sustainability of the statistical, civil registration and identification
system related degree programs in their respective schools. Furthermore, the
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General or his/her authorized representative
shall be member of the governing board of SUCs, LUCs and private institutions
Offering statistical, civil registration and identification ‘system related programs to
ensure that it shall be complementary and contributory to the Philippine Statistical
Development Program (PSDP), Philippine Civil Registration Program (PCRP) and the
Philippine Identification System Program (PISP) and thrusts of the national
government. The National Statistician and Civil Registrar General or his/her duly
authorized representative shall be entitled to the rights and privileges of a regular
member of the governing board pursuant to Republic Act No. 8292, otherwise known
as the “Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997” and the charters of SUCs and
LUCs or by-laws and policies of the private higher education institutions concerned.

SEC. 11. Honorarium for Other Services. — Officials and personnel of the
Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys officials and personnel shall be allowed to
render consultancy services to the private sector and shall be entitled to receive such
honorarium that may be paid to them by the private entity concerned. Such payments
shall be over and above their salary from the government during the period of the
consultancy and shall not be considered as double compensation: Provided, That the
consultancy work will not jeopardize or adversely affect the operations or activities of
his/her originating office or constitute conflict of interest of his/her duties and
responsibilities therein: Provided, further, That the Secretary of the Department
approves such consultancy.

SEC. 12. Detail to the Private Sector and Industry Immersion. —
Notwithstanding to the provisions of existing laws, officials and personnel including
researchers or enumerators or technicians and statistical, civil registration and
PhilSys and related personnel who are employed on a regular basis in the
government, whether or not they are conferred any rank under the Statistical, Civil
Registration and Philippine Identification System Career System, shall hereby be
allowed secondment to any private entity whenever such services are required:
Provided, That the duration of such service with a private entity shall not exceed one
(1) year: Provided, further, That the detail or secondment of said personnel will not
hamper or adversely affect the operations or activities of his/her originating office or
Constitute conflict of interest of his/her duties and responsibilities therein: Provided,
finally, That the concerned head of the agency approves such detail or secondment.

During the period of such secondment, payment of the seconded employee
shall be borne by the seconding private entity covered by a contract. The period of
secondment shall be used in computing the retirement benefits but not for the

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commutation of leave credits earned. Such secondment shall not likewise affect his
security of tenure nor result in the loss of seniority rights ‘subject to guidelines on
‘secondment in the IRR of this Act.

SEC. 13. Exemption from the Attrition Law and Civil Service Rule on
Nepotism. — Except for third level positions, appointment of statistical, civil
registration and PhilSys personnel to positions equivalent to salary grade ten (SG 10)
and above shall not be covered by the Attrition Law and CSC rule on nepotism in
consideration of the highly technical nature of these positions.

SEC. 14. Provision Against Double Benefits. - Statistical, civil registration
and PhilSys personnel already receiving the same benefits under any other law shall
Not be allowed to avail of the benefits under this Act unless they submit in writing their
intention to withdraw the benefits already being received and opt for those provided
hereunder.

SEC. 15. Highest Basic Salary Upon Retirement. — Upon retirement, the
statistical, civil registration and PhilSys personnel concerned shall automatically be
granted one (1) position higher than his/her current position and his/her retirement
benefits shall be computed on the basis of the equivalent salary of the next higher
position/rank.

Upon retirement, the statistical, civil registration and PhilSys personnel
concerned shall also be granted retirement gratuity based on the total length of
service (converted into gratuity months) multiplied by the highest basic salary of the
higher position/rank provided above in accordance with the provisions of Republic
Act No. 1616 or “An Act Further Amending Section Twelve of Commonwealth Act
Numbered One Hundred Eighty-Six, as Amended, By Prescribing Two Other Modes
of Retirement and For Other Purposes.”

Provided, That the existing retirement benefits shall continually be applied
should the same be more higher or advantageous to the personnel concerned.

SEC. 16. Prohibition Against Diminution and/or Elimination. — Nothing in
this law shall be construed to eliminate or in any way diminish benefits being enjoyed
by statistical, civil registration and PhilSys personnel at the time of the effectivity of
this Act.

SEC. 17. Hiring of Retired Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine
Identification System Personnel. — An employee retired under any existing law,
who, in the judgment of the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General,
Possesses managerial or technical qualifications and the capability to undertake
Statistical, civil registration and Philippine identification system related activities,
Projects and mandates, may be rehired on contractual basis without refunding the
unexpired portion of the gratuity and accumulated leave benefits received by him/her
from the Government: Provided, That no qualified statistical, civil registration and
Philippine identification system expert or applicant is available to undertake said
statistical, civil registration and PhilSys activities and projects

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SEC. 18. Government Scholars and Training Grantees. — Graduates or
grantees of government statistical, civil registration and identification ‘system
scholarship programs or trainings shall be given temporary waiver of CSC eligibilities
for at least two (2) years and Preferential access to financial grants from any
government agency authorized to extend grants and loans with easy terms from
government financing institutes, for statistical, civil registration and PhilSys projects
which are viable and in line with the development thrust of the country.

SEC. 19. Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine Identification
system (SCRIPS) Awards. — There shall be established Statistical, Civil Registration
and Philippine Identification System (SCRIPS) Awards Committee which shall confer
annually the Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine Identification ‘System of the
Philippines Awards for outstanding achievement/s and excellence or original
Contribution to innovation and continual improvement of statistical, civil registration
and PhilSys services and technologies.

The Committee, to be constituted by the National Statistician and Civil
Registrar General within fifteen days upon the effectivity of this Act, shall promulgate
the guidelines in implementing this Section and shall specify the categories of awards
to be given and the amount of financial reward for each category. Further, the
Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Members including the Technical Staff of the
Committee shall be entitled with the benefits provided under 2"4 Paragraph of Section
7 (a) of this Act

SEC. 20. Congressional Commission on Statistical, Civil Registration
and Philippine Identification System. — There is hereby created a Congressional
Commission on Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine Identification (SCRPIS
Com) to review and assess among others, the state of the Philippine human
resources development in statistical, civil registration and PhilSys sector, the state of
computerization and information technology in the statistical, civil registration and
Philippine identification ‘system activities and projects, and the implementation of this
Act.

The Commission shall be composed of five (5) Members of the House of
Representatives and five (5) Members of the Senate. It shall be Co-chaired by the
Chairpersons of the Committees concerned of both Houses of Congress. Such
congressional review shall be undertaken at least once every two (2) years.

SEC. 21. Authority of the PSA to Collect, Manage and Disburse Income.
— To supplement the implementation of this Act, the PSA is hereby authorized to
collect any amount for the fees and charges on statistical, civil registration and
PhilSys programs, activities and projects due for the government.

At least five percent (5%) of the total collections shall be retained and
deposited in trust accounts in the authorized government depository banks to be
exclusively managed and disbursed by the PSA to support the implementation of this
Act subject to usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

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SEC. 22. Establishment and Management of the Sectoral and Field
Offices, and the Administrative and Operational Management, Control and
Supervision of Local Civil Registrars. — To further enhance the efforts, and ensure
Proper and efficient implementation of statistical, civil registration and PhilSys and in
the discharge of the mandates of the PSA under relevant laws and in this Act, the
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General shall be assisted by five (5) Deputy
National Statisticians: (a) Senior Deputy National Statistician, (b) for Finance and
‘Administration Services and Regional Operations, (c) Civil Registration and PhilSys,
(4) for Sectoral Statistics, and (e) for Censuses and Technical Coordination, and is
hereby authorized to create Field Offices comprised of Regional, Provincial and
DistrictSatellite Offices for every Philippine administrative regional, provincial or
district subdivision and the Local Civil Registrars and/or Clusters thereof with
adequate manpower, facilities, equipment and resources necessary in carrying out
their respective mandates, regulatory authority, and duties. In addition, the
administrative and operational management, control and supervision of Local Civil
Registrars and their staff are hereby transferred from the Local Government Units
(LGUs) to the PSA.

The Field Offices shall be under the direct administrative supervision and
control of the Office of the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General or any
designated official of the PSA and each Regional Office shall be headed bya
Regional Director who shall be assisted by at least two (2) Assistant Regional
Directors while the Provincial and/or District/Satellite Offices shall be headed by
District/Satellite Officer who shall be assisted by at least two (2) Assistant
Distric/Satellite Directors with equivalent position of at least Division Chief, and they
shall have adequate staff of various administrative and technical divisions or units as
the case may be, in accordance with the organizational staffing patterns approved by
the Department of Budget and Management.

The current employees of the PSA in its field offices shall be given priority in
the hiring and filling-up of positions in various Field Offices so created.

Hiring, promotions and other personnel actions of the officials and employees
shall be subject to applicable laws, rules and regulations.

Further, Local Chief Executives concerned shall allocate and donate adequate
lots or areas for the construction of buildings and structures, and sustained operations
Of the PSA Field Offices in their respective City/Provincial or Regional government
centers, as the case may be. For this Purpose, the DBM and Congress of the
Philippines shall ensure sufficient amounts for the Procurement of buildings,
Structures, equipment, facilities and materials and hiring of necessary personnel for
the PSA Field Offices and Local Civil Registrars are included in the annual National
Expenditure Program (NEP) and General Appropriations Act (GAA) as separate line
item budget under the Capital Outlay of the PSA.

SEC. 23. Research and Development (R&D) Statistical, Civil Registration
and Philippine Identification System. — The PSA shall, in consultation with the
stakeholders, formulate a short-term, medium-term and long-term Research and


Development (R&D) on Statistical, Civil Registration and Philippine Identification
System complementary to the Philippine Statistical Development Program (PSDP),
Philippine Civil Registration Program (PCRP) and the Philippine Identification System
Program (PISP), and local and national development plans and thrusts.

SEC. 24. Funding. — The amount necessary to fully implement this Act shall
be sourced from the savings of PSA and/or funds provided in the General
Appropriations Act (GAA) of the year following its enactment into law under the
budgetary appropriations of the PSA subject to usual accounting and auditing laws,
rules and regulations.

SEC. 25. Annual Report. — The National Statistician and Civil Registrar
General of PSA shall submit to the Congressional Commission on Statistical, Civil
Registration and Philippine Identification (SCRIPS Com), an annual report of the
‘status of implementation of this Act.

SEC. 26. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). — The NEDA Director
General, Secretary of the DBM, and National Statistician and Civil Registrar General
of PSA, in consultation with government and nongovernment agencies involved in
Statistical, civil registration and PhilSys activities and projects, shall jointly formulate
the implementing rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 28. Repealing Clause. — Pertinent provisions Act No. 3753 (Civil
Registry Law), Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code of 1991), and
Republic Act No. 10625 (Philippine Statistical Act of 2013) and subsequent laws
thereof, and all laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations, or parts thereof,
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby amended or repealed
accordingly.

SEC. 29. Separability Clause. - The provisions of this Act are hereby
declared separable. In the event that any provision hereof is rendered
unconstitutional, those that are not affected shall remain valid and effective.

SEC. 30. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect immediately after publication
in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

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