Honoraria for teachers in local, youth polls ready for release

DONE VOTING. A member of the Board of Election Tellers (BET) puts indelible ink on the index finger of a voter at a polling precinct in Pinaglabanan Elementary School in San Juan City during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on Monday (May 14, 2018). (PNA photo by Joey Razon)

Teachers who volunteered in serving during the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) on May 14, Monday, will receive their honoraria with Thursday being the latest, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

“As of now, everything is accounted for, 100% and ready to be released,” DepEd Procurement and Management Service Director Joel Erestain said in an evening press briefing on Monday at the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

He, however, mentioned that a province in Bukidnon may be an exception as there were “technical difficulties” with the banks.

“Bukas po maaari nang i-release (Tomorrow it may be released), latest will be Thursday,” Erestain added.

While this was the case with Bukidnon, the DepEd official further said that 87% of the cash cards containing the honoraria were already delivered even before the local polls ended. The remaining cash cards were however delayed due to a “glitch on the courier.”

Eristain added that in case of any concerns in their honoraria, the Comelec hotlines are open for the teachers.

The following DepEd personnel are entitled to the following honoraria: Chairperson of the Electoral Boards, P6,000; Members of Electoral Boards, P5,000; Department of Education Supervisor Official (DESO), P4,000; and Support Staff at P2,000.

He also reported that some situations called for replacements in order to push through with the elections.

“In other regions, nagkaroon ng security problems wherein, ang mga teachers ay pinalitan ng mga police katulad sa Region nine (In other region, there were security problems wherein, the teachers were replaced by the police like in Region nine),” Eristain noted.

A teacher in Region 8, according to him, was also replaced because of a high blood pressure.

“In Region 12, a barangay in North Cotabato, deployed a tank to secure the school,” Eristain added.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) declared the recently-concluded elections to be “generally peaceful” with only a minimal number of violent incidents.