Honor Awards Program

The Honor Awards Program (HAP) is the rewards and incentives program of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) that recognizes government officials and employees who have displayed outstanding work performance. Under HAP is the annual Search for Outstanding Government Workers that honors exemplary accomplishments and behavior, and the Pamanang Lingkod Bayani program or PLBi honors qualified public servants who died in the line of duty.

Brief History

On 19 June 1959, the Employee Suggestions and Incentives Awards System (ESIAS) came into existence under Section 27 of Republic Act No. 2260. ESIAS grants honorary awards to public servants for their suggestions, inventions and extraordinary feats that result in economy and efficiency of government operation. It also grants awards to government employees who perform extraordinary acts or services beyond public expectations. Awards under RA 2260 were known as Presidential Award, Distinguished Honor Award, Superior Award and the Meritorious Honor Award. RA 2260 granted a total of 129 honor awards covering the period of 1966 until 1975.

On 6 October 1975, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) was reorganized by virtue of Presidential Decree 807 or the Civil Service Decree which established, among others, a new set of rules, regulations and guidelines on ESIAS. The new law modified the types of honor awards as follows: Presidential or Lingkod Bayan and Silangan Awards, the Civil Service Commission or Pagasa Award and the Agency or Kapwa Award.

On 18 August 1988 President Corazon C. Aquino issued Executive Order No. 334 to institute the Presidential Awards for Outstanding Public Service. Based on the Omnibus Civil Service Rules and Regulations Implementing Book V of Executive Order 292, the type of honor awards are: the Presidential or Lingkod Bayan Award and the Civil Service Commission or Pagasa Award.

In 1992, President Aquino issued Executive Order 508 revoking EO 334. EO 508 instituted the Lingkod Bayan Award as the Presidential Award for Outstanding Public Service.

President Fidel V. Ramos amended EO 508 in 1993 with Executive Order No. 77, which clarified the legal basis of the conferment of Lingkod Bayan Award.