DepEd starts accepting SHS subsidy applications

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) will start accepting today applications for the senior high school voucher program for the incoming academic year. 

Junior high school graduates from private schools may apply for the subsidy program online or through personal submissions to the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) office in Makati. 

The deadline for manual applications is on May 31. Online submissions will be accepted until June 2. 

Results are expected to be released on June 17. 

Implemented in 2016, the program provides qualified students with vouchers to cover the cost of senior high school education in private schools as well as state and local universities and colleges.

Voucher recipients will receive a subsidy of as much as P22,500 per year to cover tuition and other school fees.

The amount of the subsidy will depend on the category and location of the school where the student will enroll.

Only junior high school graduates from private schools are required to go through the application process.

Among those who are automatically qualified are Grade 10 completers from public schools and local and state universities and colleges, as well as those from private schools who are already grantees of the Education Service Contracting program. 

The application process, which usually begins at the start of the year, was delayed this year due to the late passage of the 2019 national budget. 

Pay hike for teachers

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has asked newly elected senators to support legislation that will increase the salary of teachers and other employees.

President Duterte has promised on at least five separate occasions to increase the salary of teachers but has not initiated concrete steps to do so, according to ACT chair Jocelyn Martinez.

“With school opening just around the corner, the government continues to neglect the deficit in the education system – the compensation of over 800,000 public school teachers,” Martinez said.

“For the longest time, teachers in public and private sectors have been among the lowest paid professionals in the country,” she added.

Martinez noted that the salary of entry-level public school teachers of less than P21,000 per month falls short of the requirement for a family of five.

She cited surge in the prices of oil, utilities, food and other basic commodities under the present administration.

“We ask former special assistant to the president Bong Go, who listed in his proclamation speech the raising of teachers’ salaries as third among his priorities, to exhaust all means and resources at his disposal to ensure that teachers will be provided decent pay,” Martinez said.

Martinez said Go, who has previously pushed for the prioritization of uniformed personnel’s pay hike, must employ the same urgency and commitment in the Senate to push for the passing of bills and resolutions that will effect substantial pay hike for teachers.