INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 8, ISSUE 10, OCTOBER 2019 ISSN 2277-8616 Analyzing the Merit System of Several State Universities in the Philippines Georgina M. Dioses Abstract— The study analyzed and compared the Merit System of several state universities of the country. It will also determine the awareness of faculty about their existing Merit System and its level of implementation in four State Universities in the region. The respondents are randomly selected from various campuses in each State University. The analysis of quantitative data was carried out using frequency counts and percentages. Findings revealed that Faculty respondents showed awareness of the policies and guidelines of the merit system in their respective institutions as to educational qualification, academic and administrative experience, and under the Professional Development. The policies and guidelines under adherence to the principles of merit, fitness, and equality in all aspects considered in this study were perceived by the faculty to be highly implemented. It is recommended that widest information dissemination should be conducted to the entire faculty under the state universities and colleges concerned to lead them for professional development and growth most especially for a chance to be promoted. The model Merit System as long as the standard is not lower than the Civil Service Commission Model Merit System need not be so high to attract faculty who are in the industry and practicing professionals to join the academe. Index Terms— Civil Service Commission, Educational Attainment, Merit System, Promotion, Professionals, Professional Development —————————— —————————— 1 INTRODUCTION Merit System is widely used in all State Universities and occupied the Philippines, public school system was put up Colleges in the Philippines. This is used as a basis in the from the primary to tertiary levels. The first was the Philippine Promotion and Recruitment process of SUCs, used as one of Normal College, now the Philippine Normal University and the bases for the expeditious approval or attestation of the Manila Trade School, now the Technological University of appointments and SUC accreditation to take final action on the Philippines. Today, the Philippines have 112 State appointments. The Model Merit System originated from the Universities and Colleges all these universities have their Civil Service Commission under Memorandum Circular No. Merit System. In 1999, [2] was issued. Under this order, CHED 19, s. 2005 [3]. Although there is a Model Merit System supervised institutions, or the Higher Education Institutions released by the Civil Service Commission, the SUCs and LUCs started to be integrated into State Universities and Colleges in were allowed to create their System to be approved by their Region 2. The Higher Education System is growing and a well- own Governing Board which shall be submitted to the CSC. established promotion and merit procedures model is needed. The SUCs are also permitted to upgrade their Merit System on The merit system is designed to ensure fair and open condition that the Qualification Standard is higher or equal recruitment, promotion, competition and employment with the Model Merit System of the CSC. At present, some practices free of political influence. Entrance to the SUCs are in the process of revising its Merit System due to government service is based on merit and fitness and it is one various reasons like the upgrading of research results in the of the characteristic of bureaucracy that has been recognized University, the quality of Faculty being recruited and worldwide. State Universities and Colleges has been promoted, the experience needed and the performance. proactively recruiting the best-qualified applicant for Hence, the result of this study can used as a reference in the permanent appointment to its vacant faculty positions using discussion of the merit system among State Universities and its Merit System. SUCs strictly adhere to the principles of Colleges. Moreover, this will also be used to answer some merit, fitness and equality: The selection of faculty should be confusions among faculty members in Region 2 regarding the based on the relative qualifications and competencies to use of the Merit System. The Civil Service Commission can perform the duties and functions required for the positions. likewise use this study as a basis for the upgrading of the CSC Each State Universities and Colleges are mandated to have Model Merit System taking into considerations some of the their Merit System using the Model Merit System established qualifications that a faculty should have. According to [1], for SUCs by the Civil Service Commission [3]. This is under many developing countries have shown great interest in the provisions of Item No. 2, Section 7, Book V of Executive improving their higher education systems, investing in their Order No. 292, otherwise known as the Administrative Code best institutions to transform them into world class of 1987; Memorandum Circular No. 38, s. 1993 dated universities. Improving the quality of a university begins with September 10, 1993; and Memorandum Circular No. 40, s. 1998 the examination of its faculty promotions and merit dated December 14, 1998 and in consonance with CHED procedures. As early as 1901, shortly after the Americans Circulars, DBM Circulars and the SUC Charter, each State Universities and Colleges are mandated to have their own ———————————————— Merit System using the Model Merit System established for Georgina M Dioses is from Isabela State University SUCs by the Civil Service Commission. Under this Section, the Governing Board of the university or college shall approve the 2550 IJSTR©2019 www.ijstr.org INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 8, ISSUE 10, OCTOBER 2019 ISSN 2277-8616 SUC Merit System which shall be submitted to the Civil University has a total size of 125. The data of the study was Service Commission. The approved Merit System shall be obtained through survey questionnaire. The questionnaire used as one of the bases for the expeditious approval or was pretested prior to the final survey. Corrections were made attestation of appointments and SUC accreditation to take and suggestions were incorporated in the instrument after the final action on appointments. The Non-submission of Merit pre-test. The improved Questionnaire was submitted to the System by the SUC within a specified period shall be members of the Advisory Committee before it was construed as adopting the Merit System established by the administered to the identified respondents. A formal request Commission. The Merit System is widely used by State was also made to secure approval from the University Universities and Colleges for new entrants in the Institution Presidents of each State Universities and Colleges in Region 2 and most importantly, for Promotion. Promotion is a very before the Questionnaires were administered. The data were strong motivation for a person who has the possibility to analyzed and computer-processed using the computer advance on a higher position through his career. A study software, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) found that receiving job promotion leads to increase job applying the following statistical tools: satisfaction for academic staff. Job Satisfaction is very 1. The frequency counts and percentages were used to important for employees in an organization. On the other side, describe the profile of the respondents. the study of [5] enlightened the researchers to the 2. Weighted mean was used to determine the mathematical approach used for quality assurance and used respondent‟s perception on the merit system of SUCs in this approach to develop an educational quality assurance Region 2. model for college schools in the Philippines. On the other note, 3. The Likert type numerical scale with corresponding the study of job satisfaction among lecturers seems inevitable range and descriptions was used in evaluating the mean since an understanding of the factors involved in job values of merit system of SUCs in Region 2. satisfaction is vital in improving the happiness of workers [4] Job satisfaction influences the mental and physical wellbeing of the lecturers in their work, as well as the quality of their 3 RESULT AND ANALYSIS teaching. It also helps the university to retain the potential academics, lower absenteeism and turnover rate, as well as 3.1 Profile of Respondents meeting the demands of highly qualified faculty. Hence, Merit With regard to the age of respondents, out of the three System is one of the bases in promoting or in hiring highly qualified and competent faculty in State Universities and hundred twenty seven respondents, majority were at the age Colleges for natural vacant position among the universities. range of 30 to 39 years old or a total of 92 or 28 percent. This This study will provide the SUCs and the Civil Service was followed by 86 or 26 percent of the respondents with an Commission (CSC) important information regarding each age range of 40 to 49 and 82 or 25 percent with ages from 50 to SUCs Qualification Standard. 59 years old. There were 49 or 15 percent below 30 years old and the least is 18 or 6 percent who were 60 and above years 2 RESEARCH PROCESS old. Most of the respondents were female which comprised of Generally, this study assessed the Merit Systems of State 207 or 63 percent of the total respondents and the rest were Universities and Colleges in Region 2. The schools that were males with 120 or 37 percent. Majority, 233 or 71 percent of the involved in the study are Isabela State University, Cagayan respondents were married while those who were single State University, Nueva Vizcaya State University and Quirino comprised of 94 or 29 percent. With regard to the educational State University. The study aimed to assess the level of awareness of the faculty on their existing Merit System and background of respondents, it can be noted that majority, 100 determine the perception of the respondents on the level of or 31 percent of the respondents were master's degree holder implementation of their Merit System.