N Insights
By Doc Ian Mark Q. Nacaya
Perspectives on Leadership and Community Life
Behind every effective local government is a workforce that must be recruited fairly, developed continuously, evaluated objectively, recognized appropriately, and cared for as an essential part of the organization.
Buildings, equipment, technology and financial resources are indispensable to government operations. Yet ultimately, it is people who transform government plans, policies, programs and budgets into actual services that reach communities.
This is why the Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management, or PRIME-HRM, deserves recognition as a class of its kind in managing the human-resource affairs of government institutions, particularly local government units.
Developed by the Civil Service Commission, PRIME-HRM provides government institutions with a structured framework for assessing and progressively improving their human-resource management systems. Its four core areas are Recruitment, Selection and Placement; Learning and Development; Performance Management; and Rewards and Recognition.
PRIME-HRM therefore encourages an LGU to move beyond traditional personnel administration.
Human-resource management in government should not simply be about processing appointments, recording attendance, preparing payroll documents, granting leave or maintaining personnel records. These are necessary functions, but contemporary public administration demands something more: an HR system that develops people, safeguards merit and fairness, strengthens institutional competence, recognizes performance, and aligns the government workforce with the larger objectives of public service.
That is where PRIME-HRM becomes particularly significant.
From Personality-Driven to Process-Driven HR
One of the vulnerabilities of any organization is excessive dependence on personalities. When institutions lack established systems, decisions and procedures may vary depending on who happens to occupy a particular position. Strong public institutions, on the other hand, are governed by clear policies, defined processes, established standards and institutional accountability. PRIME-HRM seeks to strengthen precisely this kind of institutionalization.
At Maturity Level II, human-resource systems become process-defined. Procedures are documented, responsibilities are established and HR actions are increasingly governed by organizational standards rather than informal practices.
For an LGU, this is important. Recruitment must be based on merit and established qualification standards. Learning and development must respond to the competencies required by the organization. Performance must be measured against defined targets. Rewards and recognition must reinforce genuine accomplishment and public-service values.
The emphasis therefore gradually shifts from asking: “Who is handling the process?” to asking: “What institutional system governs the process?” That transition is an important characteristic of professional public administration.
Cagayan de Oro Achieves PRIME-HRM Level II
It is therefore fitting to congratulate the City Government of Cagayan de Oro for attaining a Level II Maturity Rating at the regional level under PRIME-HRM.
Following the Civil Service Commission Region X onsite assessment on April 15-16, 2026, the City Government, through the Office of the City Human Resource Management Officer, obtained a reported 100-percent rating across the four HR pillars. The result qualified the city for recommendation to the CSC Central Office for the national Bronze Award under the PRIME-HRM framework. This achievement deserves recognition because institutional reforms of this nature do not happen overnight.
Policies have to be developed. Procedures must be standardized. Records and documentary evidence must demonstrate that the systems actually work. Supervisors and employees must understand their responsibilities, and good HR practices have to become part of the organizational culture of the entire City Government.
Leadership from the City’s Chief Executive
At the helm of this accomplishment is City Mayor Rolando “Klarex” A. Uy, the Chief Executive of Cagayan de Oro City. Mayor Uy deserves congratulations for providing the executive leadership under which the city’s human-resource management systems have continued to develop and for giving attention to the welfare, professional development and employment concerns of City Hall personnel.
The PRIME-HRM assessment itself covered the executive and legislative branches of the City Government, with the executive branch led by Mayor Klarex Uy. More importantly, the emphasis on personnel development and welfare can be seen in concrete initiatives undertaken by the City Government.
In June 2026, more than 70 City Hall employees were promoted to regular status, with Mayor Klarex describing personnel as partners or “kauban” in public service rather than merely employees. The following month, another 112 City Hall employees were granted regular employment status, with the City Government describing the initiative as part of efforts to recognize merit, reward dedicated public servants and strengthen public-service delivery.
The administration has likewise supported programs addressing the physical and organizational well-being of government employees. The City Government’s Healthy Workplace Program has included a free City Hall clinic and pharmacy, weekly wellness breaks, safety officers assigned to offices, and workplace health initiatives. The city government reported that these programs formed part of the administration’s efforts to provide employees with a healthy, supportive and productive working environment.
In November 2025, Mayor Uy also issued a memorandum requiring City Government offices to undertake weekly wellness activities every Friday, incorporating activities such as physical exercise and other wellness programs intended to promote employee health and camaraderie.
These initiatives reinforce an important principle in governance: Taking care of the people who deliver public services is also an investment in the quality of public service itself. The relationship is straightforward. Government employees who are properly selected, continuously developed, fairly evaluated, appropriately recognized and supported by their organization are better positioned to respond effectively to the needs of citizens.
Thus, the achievement of PRIME-HRM Level II should also be seen in the wider context of executive leadership that recognizes human capital as one of local government’s most important resources.
Congratulations, therefore, to Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy for providing leadership as City Chief Executive and for supporting initiatives addressing the professional and workplace needs of City Government personnel.
Recognizing the Leadership of the HRMO
Special recognition must likewise be given to Xsyclyn Faith “Kansai” Lumbatan, who heads the Office of the City Human Resource Management Officer and has been at the forefront of the city’s PRIME-HRM journey.
The Civil Service Commission of Region X itself officially conferred the PRIME-HRM Bronze Award and Level II Maturity Rating to the City Government of Cagayan de Oro and fittingly to CHRMO, under her leadership.
Managing human resources in an organization as large and complex as an LGU requires far more than personnel administration.
It requires translating Civil Service rules into workable organizational systems, coordinating with numerous departments, establishing common HR standards, building employee competencies, strengthening performance mechanisms, introducing innovations and persuading the bureaucracy to embrace reforms. This is why the achievement of the CHRMO should be appreciated not simply as the accomplishment of one office, but as an important institutional gain for the entire City Government.
Congratulations to Kansai Lumbatan and the men and women of the City Human Resource Management Office for helping bring Cagayan de Oro’s HR systems to this important level of maturity.
HR Excellence Is Good Governance
Ultimately, PRIME-HRM should not be viewed merely as an HR program. It is part of the architecture of good governance. When recruitment is merit-based, government gains competent people. When learning and development are institutionalized, public servants continuously improve their knowledge and skills. When performance management is credible, employees understand what is expected of them and how their work contributes to organizational objectives.
When rewards and recognition are administered fairly, excellence, innovation and commitment to public service are reinforced. And when employees know that their welfare and professional growth matter to their organization, government can nurture a stronger culture of service. The eventual beneficiary is therefore not merely the employee. The ultimate beneficiary is the citizen.
A competent, motivated, fairly managed and professionally developed workforce is better equipped to process permits, deliver health and social services, respond to disasters, manage infrastructure, protect public resources, implement development programs and undertake the hundreds of functions citizens expect from their local government every day.
Investment in human resources should therefore never be treated as a secondary administrative concern. It is an investment in institutional capacity.
Level II Is a Milestone, Not the Finish Line
Cagayan de Oro’s Level II achievement deserves celebration, but its greater importance may lie in what comes next. Institution-building is a continuing process.
The challenge is to further deepen meritocracy, professionalize career development, maximize digital HR systems, strengthen competency-based management, nurture future leaders, recognize high performers and ensure that institutional gains endure regardless of changes in personalities or political administrations.
PRIME-HRM reminds us that strong government does not emerge simply from good policies. It requires good people working within good systems under leadership that appreciates the value of both.
The attainment of PRIME-HRM Level II demonstrates something that every LGU should continuously pursue: Human-resource management is more than managing personnel. It is developing people, strengthening institutions and ultimately improving the government’s capacity to serve its citizens.
That is why PRIME-HRM is truly a class of its kind in advancing excellence in local government human-resource management.
About the Author:
Dr. Ian Mark Q. Nacaya is a public administration scholar, urban governance practitioner, and former six-term City Councilor of Cagayan de Oro City. He also served as a two-time Sectoral Representative to the City Council, first as SK City Federation President and later as Liga ng mga Barangay President, and was a three-term Majority Floor Leader. He is the Founder of NACAYA Public-SectoralDev Insights Consulting and serves as a graduate school professor in public administration courses. His work focuses on sustainable urban development, resilient local governance, climate adaptation, innovation in government, and people-centered public policy.
