Briones orders early release of teachers’ cash allowance

MANILA – Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones has ordered the early release and payment of the PHP5,000 cash allowance for teachers ahead of the start of School Year 2021-2022.

“Our teachers have consistently shown their immediate support to our commitment to deliver quality education amidst the pandemic. We want to consistently support them back through all available means while we explore more ways to help them,” Briones said in a release on Monday.

Per Joint Circular No. 2, s. 2021 of DepEd and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Secretary of Education is authorized to determine an earlier schedule of the release of the cash allowance, which increased from PHP3,500 in the previous years.

In a memorandum issued to field offices by Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla and Assistant Secretary for Finance Ramon Fiel Abcede on June 15, Briones approved the release of the cash allowance starting June 15.

The cash allowance is intended for the purchase of teaching supplies and materials, tangible or intangible; for the conduct of various modes of learning, internet, and other communication expenses; and for their annual medical examination expense.

The circular will cover all permanent and provisional public-school teachers, including Alternative Learning System (ALS) Mobile and District ALS Coordinators (DALCS), in all public elementary, junior, and senior high schools, and community learning centers.

Meanwhile, public school teachers with no teaching load, absence without leave, who are on an indefinite leave of absence, maternity leave, study leave, guilty of any offense in connection with their work, and those who no longer in service as of the official start of the school year is not entitled to the grant of the cash allowance.

However, those who resume their duty after their leave and are assigned with at least one teaching load in SY 2021-2022 will be entitled to cash allowance on a pro-rata basis.

“This PHP5,000 cash allowance this year is only the start of our support efforts for our teachers in preparation for the upcoming school year. With the help of Congress and our stakeholders, we have lined up more initiatives to ensure teachers’ welfare,” Briones said.