200 workers in rice, carabao research agencies to lose jobs

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ— More than 200 employees of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) here may lose their jobs as the government pursues its program to remove redundant and unnecessary positions from the bureaucracy.

“We are implementing the executive order that directs the rationalization of functions of agencies in the executive branch,” said Dr. Eufemio Rasco, PhilRice executive director.

“It’s good, it’s bad depending on the way you look at it,” he added.

The rationalization program, implemented through Executive Order No. 366 issued by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2004, aims to eliminate overlapping positions and improve agency performance.

This is achieved “through the rationalization of service delivery and support systems and organization structure and staffing,” according to EO 366.

Last year, President Aquino amended the order and provided options for those who would be affected. They can apply for positions in the agency in which their skills are still needed, be reassigned to other agencies needing additional personnel, or retire or resign from the service with applicable incentives.

A PhilRice bookkeeper, who asked to be identified only as Nenita, said she would lose her job even if she holds a permanent position and has stayed with the agency for 15 years.

She said she has the necessary educational background, civil service eligibility and had competed for the position.

Rasco said the rationalization plan was sad news for PhilRice employees because they have families and many of them have spent most of their lives serving the agency.

Reports also said the rationalization scheme at the PCC here had been approved and would affect over 100 employees. The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization  has also implemented its rationalization plan and terminated an undetermined number of employees.

Nenita said while she would receive benefits once her government service ended, these would not be enough to tide her family over. “It’s really very sad because we were bulldozed out of government service,” she said.

“I hope President Aquino looks into this. I know he has the power to institute changes in that executive order,” she added.