THE DEPARTMENT of Education reiterated its policy that employees working on-site must be vaccinated against Covid19.

DepEd said this policy has been approved by the Office of the President.

“This is also in line with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases Resolution Nos. 148B and 149 s. 2021, on the requirement for vaccination or negative RT-PCR result or antigen test result (if RT-PCR capacity is insufficient) for employees working on-site, in areas that have sufficient supply of vaccines as determined by the National Vaccines Operation Center,” the agency said in a statement.

The agency clarified that the policy “does not and is not intended to unjustly discriminate against any DepEd employee who chooses not to be vaccinated.”

“A DepEd employee who is not vaccinated is treated fairly as he/she remains obliged to render work and receive compensation based on applicable alternative work arrangements, and his/her work is not terminated on the sole ground of being unvaccinated, consistent with the above IATF Resolutions as well as Civil Service rules and regulations,” the agency explained.

Consistent with national and international laws, DepEd said it respects the rights of every person, while recognizing the duty of the State to promote public health and general welfare.

“Let it be assured that the DepEd, in the performance of its mandate to ensure access to, promote equity in, and improve the quality of basic education, puts in priority the best interest of the learners, as well as the welfare of its employees,” the agency added.