A BILL that seeks to streamline the government bureaucracy by getting rid of obsolete positions to improve the delivery of state services has been filed at the Senate.

“This measure aims to implement a systemic reform to promote and maintain an effective, efficient, economical, responsive and progressive Philippine government,” Senator Joel J. Villanueva, who filed Senate Bill 2502 on Dec. 5, said in the measure’s explanatory note.

Under the bill, Congress, the Judiciary, constitutional commissions, the Ombusdman and local governments may restructure their offices.

Affected state workers with five to 11 years of service would be entitled to half their monthly salary for every year of service.

Those with 31 years of employment will be entitled to one and a quarter months’ salary for every year of service.

The President may streamline and scale down redundant functions that could be handled by local governments.

A committee will also be formed to oversee the rightsizing of the Executive branch, which will be headed by the executive secretary and co-headed by the Budget chief.

Government employees excluded from the rightsizing program are teachers, military and police. — John Victor D. Ordonez