Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar has announced the regularization of more of its employees on the occasion of the agency’s 11th anniversary.

Andanar led the oath-taking ceremony and signing of the appointment papers of the newly regularized personnel on Monday at the PCOO’s new office in Times Plaza Building along Taft Avenue in Manila.

An additional 32 regular employees were hired while 15 personnel were regularized, the PCOO said in a press statement.

Some passed the Civil Service Examination (CSE) in July to qualify for the plantilla or regular positions.

Among the workers who are now on regular status are drivers who were in contract of service (COS) in the PCOO for over 10 years.

The newly-regularized personnel will have security of tenure, benefits, year-end and performance-based bonuses, incentives, and allowances.

Since 2016, the PCOO has been regularizing employees who have been with the communications arm for five years or longer, and have been in short-term renewable contracts that denied them the security, opportunities, and benefits of full-time employees.

The PCOO also requested additional plantilla positions from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

To date, the DBM has granted the PCOO plantilla positions but the agency is working on increasing this number in order to regularize more.

PCOO Undersecretary for finance and administration Kris Ablan previously assured that more plantilla posts will soon be available to provide deserving employees with security of tenure. (PNA)