IN A budget hearing in Congress, the Department of Education highlighted the support it gives to teachers amid the pandemic.

“In our fight for access and quality of education, our teachers are our heroes, and we have endeavored to take care of their welfare,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.

Under the 2021 budget, teachers were entitled to regular benefits including clothing, transportation, teaching aid allowances and other government bonuses.

In August, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the release of the P1,000 World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefit for public school teachers.

“All of the bonuses and incentives, lahat ay naibibigay and DepEd, through the directive of our Secretary, these bonuses ay advance na naibibigay,” Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said during the hearing.

In terms of Covid19 assistance, the education department has prepared benefits to protect the health, safety and well-being of its teaching and non-teaching personnel, including the provision of hazard pay.

DepEd also ensured the provisions of Personal Protective Equipment and sanitation supplies to teachers and personnel. It conducted regular disinfection and decontamination of buildings, facilities and DepEd vehicles, as well as  checks employees’ health status.

Modifications of workplace layout have also been made to comply to the stringent physical distancing protocol. The restrictions on office-related mass gatherings are also strictly observed by maximizing the use of remote and online platforms.

“In relation to Covid19 cases, we have coordination with the Employees Compensation Commission and we’ve given these sickness benefits, the medical benefits, cash assistance, death and funeral benefits. Aside from our collaboration with PhilHealth, which includes packages like community isolation, Covid19 testing package, and in-patient package,” OIC-Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development Wilfredo Cabral said.

The DepEd field offices, likewise, placed their own Covid19-related initiatives for testing, isolation and treatment of infected personnel.

The agency is also working closely with the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Budget Management in the creation of additional teaching positions, namely Teacher IV, V and VI and Master Teacher V to ensure more  career opportunities in public school following its approval from the Cabinet.

In addition, Cabral said that the agency will release guidelines on additional service credits to recognize the work of public school teachers last school year.

At the end of the hearing, Representative Roman Romulo, chairman of the Committee on Basic Education and Culture,  acknowledged DepEd for doing its best to provide support to its personnel.

“I’m sure you are doing the best that you can for the good of education and our students and our teaching and non-teaching personnel,” Romulo said.