Casuals outnumber regular employees, three to one, at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Commission on Audit (COA) has found. In its annual audit report, the COA said there were 5,236 casuals in the BFAR’s central office and its 15 regional offices, as well as in the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute. In contrast, the agency has 1,697 regular plantilla positions. Also called contract of service (COS) employees, or job order individuals, the casuals either perform the regular functions of permanent employees or do not work within a specific period, according to the COA. For instance, 51 casual employees have been found to be working in the BFAR for more than 10 years, according to the report. This violates a 2017 joint circular of the Civil Service Commission, Department of Budget and Management, and the COA.

Chiu, P. D. M. (2019, July 15). More casual than regulars in BFAR-COA. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A2.