The Department of Education (DepEd) has announced the release of P7,000 of the P10,000 performance bonus for teachers and non-teaching workers ahead of the long Christmas break.
Franklin Sunga, Education Undersecretary for Legal Affairs, said that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released more than P3.5 billion for the P7,000 bonus for each worker. Malacañang last Thursday promised to shoulder the release of the cash, but Sunga said that DepEd worked round-the-clock for the distribution of the P7,000 yesterday.
“Everybody received it. Our teachers and our other non-teaching personnel will have more money this Christmas,” Sunga said.
But Sunga said DepEd would have to complete first an accounting of its cash position to determine if it’s possible to release the balance of P3,000 by next week.
Malacañang earlier ordered government departments and agencies to get the funds for the P3,000 balance from their savings.
“We’re not yet finished with our accounting. Hopefully, we’ll finish it next week,” Sunga said.
DepEd officials said they would still have to find out if they could release the P3,000 in full or in batches. – Rainier Allan Ronda