House passes on 3rd reading bill creating more HR offices in LGUs

The Batasang Pambansa facade (Photo from the Facebook account of the House of Representatives)

MANILA, Philippines — House Bill No. 8520, which would create more human resource management offices in local government units (LGUs), was approved on its third and final reading on Wednesday.

During the plenary session, 266 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, which seeks to amend the Local Government Code of 1999.  There was no negative vote and no abstention.

If enacted, HB No. 8520 will insert several phrases to Section 443 of the Local Government Code to include new positions in the local government:

• a municipal human resource management officer
• a municipal business permit and licensing officer
• a municipal cooperatives development officer

Section 454 will also be amended for the city counterparts of the new positions.

For the provincial level, Section 463 will be amended to the human resource management officer and the cooperatives development officer.

Under the bill, human resource management officers can only be appointed if they meet the following qualifications:

• Filipino citizenship
• a resident of the municipality, city, or province where they will be working
• of good moral character
• a college degree holder, preferably in psychology, public administration, or law from a recognized college or university
• a first-grade civil service eligible or its equivalent
• at least five years experience in the human resource management field at the provincial and city level
• at least three years experience in the human resource management field at the municipal level

“The human resource management officer shall be appointed by the chairperson of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) from the list of at least three (3) ranking eligible recommendees of the governor or mayor, as the case may be, subject to Civil Service Law, rules and regulations,” the bill read.

“Such appointment shall not be subject to concurrence of the Sanggunian concerned,” it added.

The bill also stated that the appointment of such officers will be optional for fourth to sixth-class municipalities.

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JPV