Teachers to get P4,300 for poll duties

P30-M fund set up for poll-related casualties

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday announced that public school teachers who serve as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) in May will get P4,300 each.

"Our teachers need to be fully compensated as they perform central roles in this political exercise," DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus said in a statement.

The statement followed the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between Lapus and Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo.

Lapus said the MOA signing for teachers's compensation is only part of a "series of cumulative measures" to ensure clean, honest and peaceful automated local and national elections on May 10.

The DepEd said that even before the MOA signing, Education Undersecretary Franklin Sunga and Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal had come up with an agreement on the teachers' compensation package last December.

Based on the MOA signed, teachers who will serve as election inspectors will receive P3,000 each, plus P300 transportation allowance.

Another P500 will be given for inspection, verification, and sealing of book of voters, plus another P500 for inspection, verification, and sealing of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines.

The MOA also provides that team leaders, including school heads, principals and education supervisors who are not members of the BEI, but will supervise certain precincts will receive P3,000.

Even school janitors and messengers who will be assigned in voting precincts during the elections will also get P1,500 each while members of the board of canvassers in the municipal, city and provincial levels will get P5,000.

Aside from the allowances, the DepEd said the Comelec has pledged a P30-million fund for "election-related deaths or injuries" that may involve teachers while performing their poll duties.

It said that each family of a "deceased" teacher or DepEd employee will receive P200,000.

Source: ABS-CBN News