THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers Private Schools has appealed to the Department of Labor and Employment to include private school teachers and personnel who were affected by the pandemic in the government assistance program.

The group said that many affected academic personnel, including those who were displaced and demoted to part time positions, claimed that they have not received any financial aid from the government’s Covid19 Adjustment Measures Program.

Most of them, especially those who are in the National Capital Region, received no salary from March to July because of the “no work, no pay” policy in their schools.

“It is distressing that we are receiving significantly numerous complaints as to how poorly the aid is being implemented and allegedly being unfairly granted to selected private institutions despite voluminous applications from deserving schools across the country,” Dr. Jonathan Geronimo, the group’s secretary general, said.

The group urged the Labor department to include concerned unions and organizations such as ACT Private Schools in consultations to ensure inclusivity of the application process.

It also suggested that DOLE release regular reports on the number of applicants to the cash aid and the beneficiaries.

It pointed out that the P300 million allocated budget for Bayanihan 2 that includes the granting of assistance to displaced teaching and non-teaching personnel, including the part-time faculty in private and public schools is insufficient.

“While we recognize the critical role of CAMP to mitigate the socio-economic effect of the pandemic, the administration should acknowledge that it is grimly insufficient to provide just and dignified financial assistance to all affected employees especially in private education institutions that have been financially and operationally crippled,” Geronimo said.

“We appeal to the authority to heed our demands for an inclusive and transparent enactment of CAMP as we advance the struggle for higher budget allocation. It is at these dire times of our history where the state shall remain firm to protect the rights of its constituents and hear its resounding demands,” Geronimo said.