Individuals who have earned Latin honors through open distance learning (ODL) programs can now submit applications for civil service eligibility if they wish to pursue a career in the public sector.

This development comes after the Civil Service Commission (CSC) issued CSC Resolution No. 2300615 on 28 July 2023, which extends the coverage for Honor Graduate Eligibility (HGE). As a result, the HGE is now available to bachelor's degree graduates who earned distinctions of summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude from ODL programs at colleges and universities accredited by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

“The COVID-19 pandemic has sped up the adoption of digital technologies for learning, promoting accessible education despite the lockdown. By including honor graduates from open distance learning in the coverage of HGE, we recognize the role of digitalization in ushering progressive development in academic standards and honing future-ready civil servants,” said CSC Chairperson Karlo Nograles.

Presently, the CSC grants the HGE to honor graduates from qualified domestic and foreign schools and universities in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 907. The decree’s aim is to facilitate the immediate absorption of Latin honor graduates in the public service, ensuring their active involvement in public affairs and enhancing the quality of the government workforce.

Meanwhile, Republic Act (R.A). No. 10650, or the Open Distance Learning Act, combines the approaches of “open learning” and “distance education” under the framework of open and flexible learning. This legislation mandates that all courses or subjects provided through ODL must match the rigor and depth of conventional classroom or traditional programs, despite their non-traditional delivery methods.

Chairperson Nograles explained that the proposal to extend the HGE to ODL graduates with Latin honors originated from the University of the Philippines Open University. They emphasized the need for the competitive atmosphere found in residential universities to also be integrated into ODL.

Applicants for the grant of HGE through ODL must meet all of the following qualification requirements: graduated from school year 2015–2016, upon the promulgation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. No. 10650 on 29 February 2016, and thereafter; graduated with distinctions of summa cum laude, magna cum laude, or cum laude in their bachelor’s degree through ODL, regardless of the number of years of completion; and graduated from an open university/college/institution recognized by the CHED as a degree-granting Higher Education Institution.

The said university/college/institution must hold a minimum Level III accreditation or its CHED equivalent for the programs offered through the conventional classroom or traditional mode of learning, pursuant to Section 3 (g) of R.A. No. 10650.

CSC Resolution No. 2300615 will take effect 15 days from the date of publication in a newspaper of general circulation or on 02 November 2023. For more information on the grant of Honor Graduate Eligibility, please visit the CSC website at www.csc.gov.ph.