The Civil Service Commission (CSC) announced Monday that it has launched the Philippine Civil Service Modernization Project (PCSMP), marking a milestone reform initiative that will drive the digital transformation of the bureaucracy.

The project seeks to harness digital tools and platforms to streamline and automate human resource (HR) processes, ultimately improving the delivery of public services. Led by the CSC as the lead executing agency and with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as co-lead, the project is supported by the World Bank through Official Development Assistance.

It focuses on modernizing the Human Resource Management and Payroll System to strengthen efficiency, transparency, and accessibility in government operations.

“The PCSMP is the offspring of our shared vision of a revitalized government in which policy infrastructures, systems, and processes in the delivery of services to the people are managed by highly competent and motivated civil servants enabled by technology to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of services,” CSC Chairperson Marilyn B. Yap said.

The P3.88-billion project, composed of P3.755 billion (97 percent) from loan proceeds and P123.56 million from the national budget, will run from 2025 to 2029, covering 40 pilot agencies through a series of capacity-building workshops and writeshops.

By modernizing HRM and payroll systems, the PCSMP is expected to deliver wide-ranging benefits, including faster processing of HR transactions, greater accuracy in payroll processing, streamlined recruitment and onboarding processes, stronger compliance with HR policies, improved employee performance management, and enhanced data for evidence-based policy development.

To ensure effective implementation, a Project Steering Committee has been established to provide strategic direction, monitor progress, and safeguard resources. It will work closely with two technical working groups and an internal CSC group.

As a highlight of the event, members of the Project Steering Committee, Technical Working Groups, and pilot agencies affixed their signatures on the PCSMP project signage, symbolizing their collective commitment to the project’s vision.

“Making government work better for the people is a collective duty of all agencies of government together with the CSC,” Chairperson Yap said.

Also in attendance at the launching were World Bank Acting Director Gonzalo Varela, with officials Davit Melikyan, Anita Sobjak, and Khuram Farooq; DBM Undersecretary Maria Francesca M. Del Rosario; CSC Commissioners Ryan Alvin R. Acosta and Luis Meinrado C. Pañgulayan; and CSC Assistant Commissioners Ariel G. Ronquillo and Judith A. Dongallo-Chicano.