FROM THE SENIOR COMMISSIONER'S DESK

To say that the past few years have been difficult is an understatement. The persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted to an economic and health crisis beyond compare. These, coupled with personal losses led us to one of the darkest ages in history. Still, we are here and we have prevailed.

The unfortunate events of the past years may have scarred us but they are also a testament of our courage and ability to rely on each other’s strengths. The frontline medical workers who sacrificed their health to save lives; the teachers who patiently instilled in their learners the value of education even in uncertain times; and the volunteers who braved calamities and health crises to extend help are the very faces of resilience.

In public service, resilience is something often expected of us. As civil servants, we are programmed to deliver uninterrupted quality public service even in the midst of unanticipated challenges. Thus, this Second (2nd) Quarter Issue of the Civil Service Reporter magazine placed resilience upfront and at the center of public service.

In this issue, we share the story of resilience of a 2020 Civil Service Commission Pagasa awardee – Gerard M. Lavadia, Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer IV of the City Government of Tagbilaran. In a country battered by natural calamities, he implemented policies and interventions on disaster risk reduction and management resulting to community preparedness and facilitation of recovery for affected areas.

There is also resilience in our ability to adopt counteractive measures to challenges confronting us. These include efforts to capacitate our people and invest in systems and technology infrastructures to enable workspace flexibility and continued delivery of services in these unprecedented times.

We can learn from the journey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas National Retail Payment System (NRPS) Team, a recipient of the 2020 Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award. They transformed the country’s retail payments ecosystem with the Instapay and PESONet – safe, efficient, and inclusive payment services. Through their innovation, people were able to rely on online banking and digital money transfer transactions despite restrictions in mobility and observance of health protocols.

Thus, we hope that the stories in this issue of the Civil Service Reporter magazine inspire us to embrace resilience and strengthen our commitment to serve. As we move forward, let us summon every ounce of resilience. Together, we shall transform unthinkable difficulties into extraordinary progress. We have and we will continue to endure.

Mabuhay kayong lahat!

Atty. AILEEN LOURDES A. LIZADA
Senior Commissioner1

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1 Pursuant to Section 15, Book V of Executive Order No. 292 (Administrative Code of 1987)

Civil Service Reporter 2nd Quarter Issue of 2022