An online photo contest for government workers seeks to use positive imagery in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has launched a photography contest themed “Journey to the New Normal” where submitted photographs must communicate the various new norms or behavior which may effectively inspire others on how to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 situation.

In an announcement, the CSC said that the images must convey “the beauty and importance of living despite the uncertainty and discomfort brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic” and “must strongly attract the imagination of the viewer to ensure positive outlook in their hearts and minds”.

It is open to all Filipino public servants, except employees of the CSC including their relatives up to second degree of affinity or consanguinity.

The contest is ongoing, and submission of entries is until 31 July 2020 at 5 p.m. (UPDATE: The deadline of submission of entries has been extended to 21 August 2020.)

Each participant is allowed to submit only one (1) entry. Upon submission of entry, the contestants grant the CSC full permission to use the photos in any official CSC material.

Photo entries must comply with the following requirements:

• Must be original
• Must not contain copyrighted material, violence, nudity, or obscenity
• Must be colored (black and white or sepia photos are not allowed)
• Must be in JPEG or JPG format with at least 300 dpi and maximum file size of 10 MB
• Must not be digitally altered and/or enhanced
• Watermarked photos or those that have been previously submitted or have won in any local or international photography contest will be disqualified.
• Photos must have been taken starting 1 July 2020

Participants should submit their entry to the official email address of the CSC Regional Office (CSC RO) with jurisdiction over where they are located. For example, if the participant is in National Capital Region, he or she should submit an entry via email to the CSC National Capital Region. The directory of CSC ROs may be accessed through the CSC website.

There will be three (3) winners from each region. The 3rd Prize in each region will receive PHP2,000; the 2nd Prize, PHP3,000; and the 1st Prize, PHP5,000.

From the pool of regional winners, the CSC will choose three (3) entries as the national winners. The 3rd Prize will receive PHP10,000; the 2nd Prize, PHP12,000; and the 1st Prize, PHP15,000.

Winners will be notified via email. The winning photos will also be announced and showcased in the CSC website and official social media pages on 15 September 2020.

CSC Announcement No. 16, s. 2020 containing the full contest guidelines can be accessed on the CSC website.

The online photo contest is one of the events lined up for the 120th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary (PCSA) celebration this September. The PCSA is a month-long commemoration of the establishment of the civil service in the Philippines on 19 September 1900. It is also the anniversary of the whole civil service, and not just the CSC.

The theme of the anniversary celebration is Philippine Civil Service @120: Public Sector in the Age of Digital Transformation, highlighting the role of technology in the evolution of public service in the country, especially as the nation copes with the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

For more information on the PCSA theme and activities, refer to CSC Memorandum Circular No. 12, s. 2020. Updates and additional information may also be accessed via the PCSA webpage and the CSC’s official Facebook Page.