DepEd announces benefits for public school teachers in the coming months

Department of Education (DepEd) assured that it continues to prioritize the welfare and safety of its employees amid the COVID-19 situation in the country.

Photo credit: philstar.com

On Monday, DepEd announced a number of benefits to be made available to public school teachers in the coming months.

During the “Handang Isip, Handa Bukas” virtual press briefing, DepEd said that the government will provide the public teachers with an annual medical check up, an incentive benefit on World Teacher's Day, hazard pay and COVID-19 benefits and packages.

DepEd Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said that the department's finance office is preparing for the coming benefits for teachers. In September, it will release a P400-million budget.

Sevilla said teachers and personnel are eligible to receive P500 daily hazard pay. Hazard pay are given to government personnel who physically report for work during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Aside from that, teachers are also set to receive P500 in September for their annual medical examination and a P1,000-incentive in October for World Teachers' Day.

In April, when DepEd announced its intention to provide P500 for teachers' medical examinations, the Teacher's Dignity Coalition said that that the cost of such exams can actually go as high as P1,500. 

The education official also assured that they are coordinating with the Employees Compensation Commission, PhilHealth, and the Government Service Insurance System for benefit packages for teachers who may be infected with COVID-19.

Teachers also raised their concerns in the delivery of the learning materials needed by the students, their health may still be put at risk as it still poses a possibility for coronavirus transmission.

Meanwhile, during a Senate hearing last week, the Department of Education reported that 598 of its teaching and non-teaching staff have contracted COVID-19. And as for the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, it said that they has logged at least 11 DepEd personnel who have died of the disease.