THE DEPARTMENT of Education has established an election task force to assist public school teachers and personnel with their duties in the elections in May.

The formation of the ETF is one of the department’s initiatives to help the Commission on Elections ensure orderly, peaceful and credible elections this year.

“The ETF will ensure that teachers and personnel are provided with adequate information, technical and legal assistance in the course of the performance of their duties as members of the Electoral Board. This will also serve as DepEd’s institutional link to volunteer organizations and individuals,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.

Undersecretaries Alain Del Pascua and Atty. Revsee A. Escobedo were designated as ETF Operations and Monitoring Center chairman and vice chairman, respectively.

The ETF will operate at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Central Office in Pasig City from May 8 to 10, 2022.

All regional and schools/city division offices have been authorized to create their own ETF Operations and Monitoring Centers.

“The regional directors and schools division superintendents are instructed to submit a list of five officials/employees who will compose its ETF, with their respective designation, position, salary grade, DepEd email address, and contact information,” Undersecretary for Administration and ETF Del Pascua said.

The grant of honoraria to officials and personnel who will render services to their respective ETFs shall be subject to Commission on Audit rules and regulations.

“Payments of overtime pay or grant of compensatory time-off to qualified personnel in the central, regional, and schools/city division offices who will compose the DepEd ETF are authorized, subject to the availability of funds and existing auditing rules and regulations, as well as the pertinent Civil Service laws,” Pascua said.

Members of ETFs will undergo orientation and training on the use of digital signatures, enhancement and updates to the mobile monitoring application systems, Covid19 protocols, do’s and don’ts before, during, and after the elections, and other election-related concerns.