ACT TEACHERS Partylist Representative France Castro asked the Department of Education to clarify teachers’ compensation for the School Year 2020-2021.

In her letter to Education Secretary Leonor Briones, Castro sought clarification on the teachers’ Proportional Vacation Pay for School Year 2020-2021. She asked the issuance of a memorandum for its implementation.

The lawmaker said teachers should be compensated for their overtime work as the current school calendar, amended by DepEd, required them to render 77 more working days than the mandated 220 school days.

“Our public school teachers would have been working for almost 13 months without an official summer break or vacation. Further, public school teachers do not have sick and vacation benefits unlike other employees in the public and private sectors,” Castro said.

ACT said that pursuant to Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No 40. s. 1998 and as amended by CSC MC no.9.s. 2012, public school teachers are entitled to Proportional Vacation Pay.

Also, under section 9 of CSC MC No. 41 s. 1998, service credit is a privilege granted to teachers for days that they are required to work outside of their regular workdays, which they can use to offset their absences.

The Labor Code of the Philippines, on the other hand, provides for the payment of 25 percent premium on the salaries of workers who were required to render overtime work.

The lawmaker further stressed that teachers should be given fair compensation for their hours of service.

Castro added that work-from-home arrangements for teachers do not follow the eight-hour workday rule.

“Kinailangan na ngang inda[h]in ng mga guro ang kawalan ng sick leave benefits, gumawa na siya ng sarili niyang paraan gamit ang pondo mula sa kakaunting natitira mula sa kakarampot na suweldo para makaagapay sa mga pangangailangan ng blended distance learning, kinuhaan pa siya ng panahon na dapat para sa kanyang bakasyon,” she said.

“We urge the DepEd to heed the demands of its stakeholders, the education frontliners. Simply reading posts of teachers on social media is not enough. The Duterte administration, through the Department of Education, must ensure the welfare of our educators, especially now that the health and economic crisis continue to worsen due to the failed government response to the pandemic. Giving priority to teachers’ welfare also shows how the government prioritizes education continuity and the youth’s right to quality education,” she said.