ACT: Many teachers still unpaid for midterm election service
Credit to Author: Bella Cariaso| Date: Thu, 22 May 2025 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Wednesday reported that many teachers who served during the May 12 midterm elections have not yet received their honoraria.
In a radio interview, ACT National Capital Region (NCR) union president Ruby Bernardo emphasized that under the law, teachers who served in the elections should receive their compensation within 15 days after election day.
According to reports received by ACT, teachers in several school divisions and regions, particularly in Baguio and Antipolo, have yet to be compensated.
She stressed that prompt release of election honoraria reflects due recognition for the critical and often life-threatening roles performed by members of the electoral board.
Under existing guidelines, electoral board chairpersons are entitled to P12,000 each, while other members and support staff should receive between P8,000 and P11,000.
Teachers also renewed calls to exempt their election compensation from taxes, pointing out that the current 15 percent tax significantly reduces their take-home pay.
In a separate development concerning the education sector, Education Secretary Sonny Angara has directed all regional and division offices of the department to expedite the recruitment and deployment of 16,000 new teachers.
Angara emphasized that these positions, part of the 20,000 new teaching slots under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), should be filled by the end of the second quarter to help ensure a smooth school opening on June 16.
He also instructed school division offices to immediately commence hiring upon receipt of the Notices of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action (NOSCA) from the Department of Budget and Management regional offices.
Recruitment efforts began as early as October 2024 in areas with large applicant pools, with ongoing assessments since January 2025. The new hires aim to decongest overcrowded classrooms and reduce the workload of current public school teachers.
The initial deployment will focus on areas needing educators with appropriate specializations in kindergarten, elementary and junior and senior high school levels.
DepEd also requested the early release of 80 percent of the approved positions to fast-track hiring.
To further support teachers, the DBM has started issuing NOSCAs for 10,000 Administrative Officer II items. These additional non-teaching personnel are expected to ease teachers’ administrative burdens and improve school operational efficiency.
Despite these efforts, the nationwide teacher shortage remains at approximately 30,000, underscoring the continued need for systemic staffing improvements.