MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) announced that teachers are no longer required to physically report for work during the first few weeks of May as the elections draw closer.
In a statement shared with reporters on Friday evening, DepEd said teachers do not need to go on-site for work from May 2 to 13, explaining that majority of them or over 640,000 will be serving in this year's national and local polls.
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"Teachers and schools are making preparations for elections activities and as polling places before election day. There will also be immediate post-election activities in the schools and by the teachers who will serve in the elections," DepEd said.
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Meanwhile, those who are not serving in the polls must continue school-based work such as accomplishing forms, preparing instructional materials and learning plans, and evaluating outputs during the period, DepEd added.
Earlier this month, teachers group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines slammed the DepEd's earlier order requiring teachers to continue reporting on-site from May 2 to 13, despite those days being marked as non-school days due to the elections.
Teachers form part of the Electoral Boards (EBs) who render election-related services. Members of the EB will receive honoraria, travel allowances, communication allowances, anti-COVID-19 allowances and service credits for their services from the government.
Teachers groups, including ACT Philippines, have been calling on the government to lift the 20% tax on their honoraria and allowances for poll-based work. The finance department has said, however, that exempting them from paying taxes is unfair and will complicate the government's tax system.
The income tax exemption from teacher poll workers requires new legislation which is unlikely to be passed in the 18th Congress, as lawmakers seeking re-election are focused on their campaigns. — Angelica Y. Yang