To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau/Center Directors
Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Private Elementary and Secondary Schools Principals

1. The Bureau of Nonformal Education (BNFE), Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), through the Philippines Nonformal Education (PNFE) Project with the Nonformal Education Accreditation and Equivalency (NFE A&E) System at its core offers an alternative certification for learning to those Filipinos aged fifteen (15) years old and above who are unable to avail of the formal school system or who have dropped out of formal elementary and secondary school. One sub-component of the System is the Nonformal Education on Accreditation and Equivalency (NFE-A&E) tests.
2. The NFE A&E tests are designed to provide two levels of certification of learning achievement comparable to the formal elementary and secondary education system that passing them entitles one to a certificate deemed comparable to the Elementary Certificate and Secondary Diploma of the formal school system.
3. The Civil Service Commission (CSC) issued CSC Resolution No. 000499 dated February 24, 2000 recognizing the Nonformal Education Accreditation and Equivalency (NFE A&E) Elementary and Secondary Level Certificates as valid documents for purposes of permanent appointment to government positions requiring completion of elementary or high school education, provided the other requirements are met.
4. A number of positions in the government prescribes minimum education qualification which is the completion of elementary or secondary education, hence, the recognition of the NFE A&E elementary and secondary certificates.
5. To ensure uniform action on all appointments of NFE A&E Certificate Holders, the following guidelines are issued by the CSC:
   1. Appointments of NFE A&E Elementary Level Certificate Holders proposed under permanent status to positions requiring completion of elementary education shall be approved provided the appointees meet the other minimum requirements of the position in terms of experience, training and eligibility; and
   2. Appointments of NFE A&E Secondary Level Certificate Holders proposed under permanent status to positions requiring completion of secondary education shall be approved provided the appointees meet the other minimum requirements of the position in terms of experience, training and eligibility.
6. Enclosed arc copies of the CSC Resolution No. 000499, dated February 24, 2000, CSC Office Memorandum No. 30, s. 2000, dated February 29, 2000 and CSC Memorandum Circular No. 04, s. 2000, dated February 29, 2000 for reference.
7. Immediate and wide dissemination of this Order to all concerned is desired.

Encls.: As slated
Reference: None
Allotment: 1 -(D.O 50-97)

To be indicated in the Perpetual.lndex under the following subjects:
ACCREDITATION
CERTIFICATION
NONFORMAL EDUCATION
POLICY

DO_s2000_20