Registered examinees of the 15 March 2020 Career Service Examination-Pen and Paper Test, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, may claim the refund of their PHP500 application fee starting this May.

This was announced by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) in Examination Advisory No. 1, s. 2021 dated 30 April 2021, as amended, as it advised examinees that they may opt to claim the refund in person, through bank deposit, or through the services of authorized remittance centers or payment facilities.

In view of the different community quarantine restrictions imposed throughout the country, the CSC strongly urges examinees to refrain from proceeding without prior appointment or notice to any CSC Regional/Field Office (CSC RO/FO).

In person

For those who wish to claim the refund in person, examinees are advised to verify first the specific procedures with the CSC RO/FO where they originally filed their application, as quarantine restrictions may differ in each locality. The examinee must submit a filled-out Request for Refund Form (RRF), which can be downloaded from the CSC website at www.csc.gov.ph, as well as present an original and photocopy of his/her valid ID.

The refund may also be issued through a representative, who shall bring the RRF filled out by the examinee, an authorization letter, photocopy of a valid ID duly signed by the examinee, and original and photocopy of his/her own valid ID.

In case the registered examinee is already deceased, the immediate family member may claim the refund by presenting a filled-out RRF with notation “deceased” after the name of the examinee, original and photocopy of a valid ID of the deceased examinee, death certificate, as well as the original and photocopy of his/her own valid ID.

In person through a conduit RO/FO

In case the examinee is currently located away from the CSC RO/FO where he/she originally filed the exam application, claiming may be done through a conduit CSC RO/FO, one which is nearest to the examinee’s present place of residence or work. View CSC Directory.

To claim the refund, the examinee must submit a written request letter to the CSC RO which has jurisdiction over the place where the exam application was submitted. Examinees are advised to verify first with the CSC RO the proper mode (whether via email, chat, etc.) for sending the request letter. The letter must state the specific conduit CSC RO/FO where the examinee wants to personally claim the refund. The RRF and a scanned copy of the examinee’s valid ID must be submitted along with the letter.

The examinee will receive a notice/advisory when the refund is ready for claiming. The examinee shall then proceed to his/her preferred conduit CSC RO/FO and present the notice/advisory together with a filled-out RRF and original and photocopy of his/her valid ID.

Through bank or remittance/payment facility

Those with bank accounts may opt to receive their refund through bank deposit, while those who have none may inquire with the CSC RO about the possible use of authorized remittance centers or payment facilities in transmitting the refund. In both cases, request for claiming of refund may be done online.

The examinee must fill out the RRF, scan it, and email it to the CSC RO along with a digital image (scanned or photo taken using a camera) of the front and back sides of any valid government-issued ID. Sending of requirements through the CSC RO’s Facebook Page or Messenger account is discouraged for possibility of personal data breach.

In case the examinee is already deceased, an immediate family member may claim the refund by scanning and submitting to the CSC RO the filled-out RRF with notation “deceased” after the name of the examinee, valid ID of the deceased, death certificate, and his/her own valid ID.

Examinees may coordinate with their authorized/concerned Regional Offices in the following email addresses and contact numbers:

* For queries only, no requests for refund will be entertained

The CSC reminds refundees that it collects personal data for the purpose of processing their refund request. It is committed to handle and protect their personal data in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012, its implementing rules and regulations, issuance of the National Privacy Commission, and CSC’s own internal policies on data protection and security.

Meanwhile, the CSC is finalizing the guidelines for the conduct of the Career Service Examination-Pen and Paper Test this year. Interested individuals are advised to standby for updates on the CSC website at www.csc.gov.ph and the CSC Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/civilservicegovph.