K to 12 graduates now eligible for first-level government jobs

May 9, 2025 | 4:51pm

MANILA, Philippines — Senior high school graduates can now apply for government jobs previously reserved for those who completed at least two years of college, the Civil Service Commission announced on Thursday, May 8.

In a statement released Thursday, May 8, the CSC announced amendments to its educational requirements that will allow K to 12 graduates to apply for first-level government positions, which typically include clerical, trades, and custodial roles.

Under CSC Resolution 2500229 promulgated in March, the commission revised its qualification standards to acknowledge both junior and senior high school graduates. The changes specifically recognize Grade 12 completion as equivalent to the previously required two years of college for certain positions.

The new rules also make junior high school graduates eligible for positions that formerly required only pre-2016 high school diplomas.

The change addresses what a senator previously called an unfair practice where the government mandated senior high school but excluded graduates from its own workforce.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has welcomed the policy shift, which it said it initiated and "refined in close coordination with the CSC, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)."

"For years, our students have been trained to be work-ready, but policy gaps kept them from entering the public sector," Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in a statement on Friday, May 9. "This reform finally bridges that divide."

The K to 12 curriculum, which added two additional years of high school, was implemented starting in 2016. It was designed to make graduates “job-ready” by equipping them with employable skills straight out of senior high school. This was a target that education officials have already admitted remains largely unmet due to weak industry alignment and limited job opportunities for graduates.

Hence, during a Senate basic education committee hearing on the senior high school program in 2023, the panel's chairperson, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, called out the CSC for not accepting senior high graduates for the government's entry-level positions.  

Other requirements remain. While it has amended its educational requirements to "align... with the outcomes of the K to 12 education reforms," the CSC said these revised standards do not apply to positions that require specific higher education degrees or the practice of professions regulated by board laws. 

The CSC also said applicants must still meet the other qualifications required by the positions, such as "relevant training, experience, and eligibility for purposes of appointment to said positions."

"Appointment in government is also discretionary on the part of the appointing officer or authority in accordance with existing civil service law, rules, and regulations," the CSC said.

Angara said the policy change "not only opens doors for our learners but also boosts the government's talent pool with fresh, young professionals."

The amended standards take effect 15 days after publication in an official gazette or newspaper of general circulation.