Preamble
WHEREAS, it is the policy of the government to afford the youth with every possible opportunity for participation and involvement in national endeavors, especially those that will lead to the improvement of communities and of the public service; WHEREAS, for purposes of employment in the public service, the Constitution prescribes competitive examinations as the principal means of determining merit and fitness but at the same time opens the door for the adoption of other methods; WHEREAS, the government is convinced that a student who has pursued his collegiate course as a scholar and has in fact graduated with honors, has sufficiently shown that he is fit to hold a position in the public service and competent to discharge its duties and responsibilities; WHEREAS, it is considered that graduation with honors earned under the competitive atmosphere of the academic community is as good as a qualifying mark in a competitive examination to determine merit and excellence for public employment; WHEREAS, the immediate absorption of these honor graduates in the public service will assure their participation in public affairs and buoy up the quality of the civil service; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby decree: