SENATE President Francis “Chiz” Escudero is advocating for a significant restructuring of the national government, arguing that right-sizing is crucial for enhancing the delivery of public services. During a plenary session on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, Escudero underscored the need to streamline government operations to improve efficiency and optimize resource allocation.
Escudero cited a dramatic increase in government personnel, rising from 1,590,757 in 1998 to 1,968,855 in 2022. This figure excludes local government employees and those holding casual or temporary positions. He highlighted the corresponding surge in personnel service spending, which ballooned from P205 billion in 1998 to a staggering P1.397 trillion in 2022. Escudero noted that the 2022 personnel budget was 2.5 times the entire national budget of P537 billion in 1998.
In his sponsorship speech for Senate Bill No. 890, Escudero emphasized that right-sizing is not about downsizing the government or causing widespread job losses. Instead, he argued, it’s about improving the quality of service and creating positions that are truly necessary and beneficial to the public. He stated the goal is to ensure that the government operates more efficiently and economically, freeing up resources for essential services and the welfare of citizens.
The bill, Escudero clarified, explicitly excludes the Armed Forces of the Philippines, other military and uniformed personnel, the education sector, Congress, the Supreme Court, Constitutional Commissions, and local government units. It will focus solely on certain government agencies to improve operational efficiency and resource allocation. The Senate President stressed the bill’s aim is not simply reduction, but to create a more streamlined and effective government capable of better serving the needs of the Filipino people.
