NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez 
House Bill No.  _____ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
This bill seeks to institutionalize the granting of Lateral Promotion for Honor Graduates who 
chose to enter the Military & Uniformed Service   Bureaus/Agencies of the  government, 
namely;  Armed  Forces  of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau   of Jail 
Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Corrections and Philippine 
Coast Guard after their successful 2-year service and Lateral Promotion of all Honor 
Graduates who are currently in the uniformed service for more than two (2) years to the 
Rank of Lieutenants or Inspectors or its equivalent.  
The Constitution explicitly provides that the State recognizes the vital role of the youth in 
nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and 
social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage 
their involvement in public and civic affairs. It explicitly mandates the government to afford 
the youth with every possible opportunity for participation and involvement in national 
endeavors, especially those that will lead to the improvement of communities and other 
public service.  
During the incumbency of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, granting of Civil Service Eligibility 
was decreed under Presidential Decree 907 once they will graduate as Honor Graduates of 
four-year or longer courses from schools, colleges and universities of good standing as 
determined by the Secretary of Education. The Decree showed that the government  is 
convinced that a student who has pursued his collegiate course as a scholar and has in fact 
graduated with honors, has sufficiently shown that he is fit to hold a position in the public 
service and competent to discharge its duties and responsibilities  
It has long been considered that graduation with honors earned under the competitive 
atmosphere of the academic community is as good as a determination of merit and 
excellence for public employment and that the immediate absorption of these honor 
graduates in the public service will assure their participation in public affairs and buoy up the 
quality of the civil service.  
The Decree boosted interest of the youth to government service. Since then, however, only 
a small fraction of honor graduates chose government service over other job opportunities 
thereby making the  government lost the chance of hiring and retaining people who are close 
to the ideal of keeping the best and the finest for public service.  
In view of the above, the government must do more and create a mechanism which will 
inspire the youth to study hard while in college by giving them preference in the employment 
in  the government's military and uniformed service bureaus/agencies and promote them to 
the rank of Lieutenants or Inspectors after 2-year service and greater leadership role as well 
as make sure to retain the presently employed  Honor Graduates of the Uniformed Service 
Bureaus/Agencies of the  government who have already served for more than 2 years by 
promoting them to the Rank of Lieutenants or Inspectors as a fitting recompense for their 
sacrifices to graduate as part of the cream of the crop and giving them opportunity to lead as 
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they are already proven leaders. The 2-year service shall be considered their learning stage 
wherein they will learn the different and unique facets of their bureau/agency so as to better 
prepare and equip them with leadership qualities.  
 
If the government automatically absorbs graduates from the PMA and PNPA and make them 
Officers after their graduation, paid for their baccalaureate studies and gave them decent 
allowances, why can it not do to Honor Graduates who have to work hard for their education, 
make both ends meet as scholars, most of the times, even without support from the 
government and under the normal, not artificial, competitive environment?  
 
In view of the foregoing, the approval of this bill is intensely sought.  
 
 
 
 
 
                                                                                   RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Introduced by Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez 
House Bill No.  _____ 
AN ACT 
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE GRANTING  OF LATERAL PROMOTION  FOR  HONOR 
GRADUATES WHO  CHOOSE  TO ENTER THE  MILITARY & UNIFORMED SERVICE 
BUREAUS/AGENCIES    OF THE  GOVERNMENT,   NAMELY:  THE    ARMED   FORCES 
OF THE PHILIPPINES, PHILIPPINE 
NATIONAL POLICE, 
BUREAU OF JAIL 
MANAGEMENT   AND  PENOLOGY, 
 BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION, 
 BUREAU 
OF CORRECTIONS    AND PHILIPPINE COAST  GUARD  AFTER  THEIR 
SUCCESSFUL 2-YEAR SERVICE;  AND THE LATERAL 
PROMOTION OF ALL 
HONOR GRADUATES 
 WHO  ARE CURRENTLY   IN THE UNIFORMED   SERVICE 
FOR 
MORE  THAN TWO  (2)  YEARS TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANTS 
OR 
INSPECTORS OR ITS EQUIVALENT, PROVIDING FUNDS  THEREFOR AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES  
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:  
Section 1. Declaration of Policy — It is the policy of the State to afford the youth with every 
possible opportunity for participation and involvement in national endeavors, especially those 
that will lead to the improvement of communities and other public service and attract and 
keep the best and the finest to work for public service.  
Section 2. Coverage — As used in this Act, the term "Honor Graduates" shall be understood 
as those who graduated summa cum laude, magna cum laude or cum laude, or an 
equivalent of any of these honors in their Bachelor's degree, regardless of the number of 
years of completion, from colleges and universities of good standing as recognized by the 
Commission of Higher Education.  
Section 3. Preference of Employment — The military and uniformed service 
bureaus/agencies of the government, namely; Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine 
National Police,  Bureau of jail Management, Bureau  of Fire Protection, Bureau  of 
Corrections  and Philippine Coast shall preferably hire or employ   Honor Graduates  in the 
furtherance of keeping the best and the finest in the uniformed service.  
Section  4.  Lateral Promotion  to the  rank of  Lieutenant or Inspector or its equivalent  -  
After completion of the 2  years of service, Honor Graduates  shall be promoted to the Rank 
of Inspector: Provided, that for the duration of 2-year service, the Honor Graduate  shall 
obtain an adjectival rating of at least VERY SATISFACTORY in his/her Strategic 
Performance Management    System: Provided further, that the presently enlisted/employed 
Honor  Graduates  for more  than two (2) years   in the  uniformed service of the government 
who obtained  at least VERY SATISFACTORY   RATING in his/her Strategic Performance 
Management    System for four consecutive semesters.  
Section  5.  Penalty  for Violation —  The appointing Authority who   knowingly violates the 
provisions of this Act shall be punished by a fine equivalent to one month salary for the first 
violation and dismissal from the service for the second violation.  
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Section 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations – The Civil Service Commission, the 
Department of Budget and Management, the Department of the Interior and Local 
Government,  the Department of National Defense, the Department of Justice and the 
Department of Transportation, shall within 30 days from the approval of this Act, promulgate 
the rules and regulations necessary to implement its provisions.  
 
Section 7. Separability Clause – If any provisions of this Act shall be held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.  
 
Section 8. Repealing Clause – All laws, rules, regulations, orders, circulars and memoranda   
which  are inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly.  
 
Section 9. Effectivity – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in any 
two newspapers of general circulation.  
 
Approved,