Ceremonial Hall, Malacañan Palace
August 5, 2024
Highlighting the Administration’s commitment to an efficient bureaucracy under a ‘Bagong Pilipinas,’ President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. conferred the Presidential Gawad Career Executive Service (CES) and administered the oath-taking of newly appointed CES Officers (CESOs) in a ceremony at the Ceremonial Hall in Malacañan Palace.
Speaking to an assembly of distinguished civil servants, President Marcos Jr. highlighted the critical role of the CES in the nation’s public administration, a system established during his father’s presidency through Presidential Decree No. 1.
“The CES stands as a cornerstone of our public administration… designed to cultivate a cadre of leaders who will foster a highly effective, efficient and professional bureaucracy,” the President affirmed.
Recipients of the Presidential Gawad CES Awards for the year 2021 are Maria Josefina Abilay, CESO III, Regional Director of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) MIMAROPA; and Maria Teresa Camba, CESO VI, DOST Assistant Secretary for Regional Development. Meanwhile, the recipients for the years 2022 and 2023 are Miguel Mac D. Aposin, CESO V, Division Superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Province of Capiz; and Eduardo Jimmy Quilang, CES Eligible, Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Research Officer-in-Charge (OIC) at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), respectively.
The Chief Executive lauded their exceptional dedication to public service, praising their efforts in addressing problems in isolated areas and harnessing available technologies to improve the lives of those they serve.
“Your dedication to public service, to finding solutions to problems that beset our people, especially those in isolated areas, and to harnessing technologies available to us fortifies my faith once more in the Career Executive Service,” he said, congratulating the awardees.
President Marcos Jr. also welcomed the newly appointed CESOs into the esteemed group, reminding them of their critical role in upholding the highest ethical standards and driving government reforms. He noted that the CES occupancy rate had increased from 44% in previous years to 50%, aligning with the targets set under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023 to 2028.
In his closing remarks, the President urged all CESOs to embody the core values of public service — patriotism, excellence, integrity and spirituality — to ensure the nation’s prosperity.
“I challenge you to join me in reinventing ourselves as civil servants and the bureaucracy, to provide the stability and the continuity that we need for our long-term programs and visions to succeed,” President Marcos Jr. stated, emphasizing their vital role in the nation’s development and in realizing its aspirations under a ‘Bagong Pilipinas.’
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