How to Fill Out the PDS (CS Form 212) for Government Jobs

What the PDS is and where to get it

The PDS is the government's own application form. Agencies use it to check your eligibility, education and experience against the qualification standards of the position, so they ask for it in a fixed format instead of a free-form resume.

Download the form from the Civil Service Commission website or get it from the HR office of the agency you are applying to. The form is revised from time to time. Always use the latest version the agency accepts, because an old version can be returned to you.

The PDS is free. Download it from the Civil Service Commission or the agency itself, not from a site that charges for it.

General rules before you start

• Fill it in completely. Do not leave blanks: write N/A when an item does not apply to you.
• Write names in full and avoid abbreviations, including for schools and offices.
• Follow the date format the form asks for, and use it everywhere.
• You may type it or write it by hand in clear print, unless the agency says otherwise.
• Check that every detail matches your documents: birth certificate, diploma, transcript, eligibility and IDs.

Personal information and family background

The first part asks for your name, date and place of birth, sex, civil status, citizenship, height, weight, blood type, addresses and contact details, plus your government numbers.

Copy your name and birth details exactly as they appear on your PSA birth certificate. For the government numbers, give the ones you already have and write N/A for those you do not have yet. The guide to first job requirements in the Philippines explains what each number is for.

Family background asks for your spouse, your children with their dates of birth, and your parents. Write your mother's maiden name.

Educational background

List every level, from elementary up to graduate studies. For each one, give the full name of the school, the degree or course, the period you attended, and the year you graduated.

• If you did not finish a level, write the highest level or units earned instead of a graduation year.
• Put honors and scholarships in the column provided, or N/A.
• Use the school's name as written on your diploma or transcript.

Civil service eligibility

This is the part HR checks first. List each eligibility you hold: the Career Service examination (Professional or Subprofessional), a board or bar examination, or another eligibility granted under special laws, with the rating, the date and the place of examination.

If your eligibility comes from a license, add the license number and its validity date. If you have no eligibility yet, write N/A. Some positions can still be applied for without one, depending on the type of appointment, so read the vacancy notice.

Work experience

List your jobs starting from the most recent, private and government alike. For each one, give the inclusive dates, position title, the office or company, and the other details the columns ask for, such as salary and status of appointment.

Write position titles in full and make sure the dates do not overlap or leave unexplained gaps. Recent versions of the form also come with a Work Experience Sheet, where you describe your duties and accomplishments for each job. That attachment is where the skills you would put on a resume go, so use the same approach as in our guide on how to write a resume: what you did, and the result.

Voluntary work, training and other information

• Voluntary work: the organization, dates, number of hours and your role. N/A if none.
• Learning and development: seminars and trainings with their dates, hours and who conducted them. List the ones relevant to the position first, and keep the certificates ready.
• Other information: special skills and hobbies, recognitions, and memberships in organizations.

Only list trainings you can show a certificate for. HR may ask for copies of everything you declare.

The questions, references and signature

The last page has a set of yes or no questions about matters such as relationship to officials of the agency, administrative or criminal cases, and previous separation from service. Answer each one truthfully and give details where the form asks for them. The PDS is a sworn document, and false statements in it have serious consequences.

Then give your references: people who are not your relatives and who know your work or character, with their addresses and contact numbers. Ask their permission first.

Finally, write the details of a government-issued ID, attach a recent passport-size photo, and sign and date the form. The form also has a space for a thumbmark and for the oath, which is administered by the person authorized to do so. Sign each page if the form provides for it.

Mistakes that get a PDS returned

• Blank items instead of N/A.
• An outdated version of the form.
• Abbreviated school names, offices or position titles.
• Dates in mixed formats, or work dates that overlap.
• Details that do not match your supporting documents.
• A missing signature, date or photo, or a photo that is not recent.
• No Work Experience Sheet when the agency asks for one.

What to submit with it

The vacancy notice lists the requirements, and they vary by agency. A typical set is an application letter, the PDS with the Work Experience Sheet, your transcript and diploma, proof of eligibility, certificates of training, and performance ratings if you are already in government service. Our guide on how to write a cover letter covers the application letter.

Applying to private companies too? They will ask for a resume or a bio-data, not a PDS. You can fill in a bio-data with the free biodata maker, and resume vs CV vs biodata explains when each one is used.