Baguio city: The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has emerged as a "haven" for exemplary civil servants, with a significant number of its government workers receiving accolades during the prestigious Presidential Award for Outstanding Public Service. This was highlighted by a regional Civil Service Commission (CSC) official during a recent discussion.

According to Philippines News Agency, lawyer Kathy Ola±o, who serves as the chief of the CSC-CAR Public Assistance and Liaison Division, revealed that nearly 100 individuals and groups from the region have been honored by the commission over the years. "Cordillera is a haven for national awardees in the three categories, with 77 individuals and 20 groups of the total awardees nationwide being public servants in the Cordillera," Ola±o stated.

The Presidential Award for Outstanding Public Service is categorized into three distinct honors: "Gawad Lingkod Bayan ng Pangulo," "Gawad Dangal ng Bayan," and "Gawad Pagasa." Over the past two years, a notable number of awardees have emerged from CAR, with six individuals and one group receiving national recognition-three individuals in 2023 and three individuals and a group in 2024.

For the current year, five out of 50 semifinalists for national awards hail from CAR, as reported by Ola±o. The winners will be celebrated in a national ceremony scheduled for October.

Ola±o emphasized the significance of these awards, which are annually presented by the CSC to honor public servants who demonstrate exceptional dedication in their roles. "It is important that we recognize their accomplishment because of course we know that our government personnel are working hard, they are devoted, they are committed to their regular functions and other functions on top of their regular ones," she noted.

Furthermore, Ola±o highlighted the importance of public awareness regarding the commendable work of civil servants, emphasizing that hardworking and dedicated individuals far outnumber the "bad eggs" in government positions. "It is for us to let them (public) see that we are working, that your government is working for them," she remarked. "Let the people see that there are more good public servants than the bad eggs."

The Presidential Award for Outstanding Public Service was established in 1988 to acknowledge the tireless efforts of public servants across the nation.