THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers criticized the Department of Education over the agency’s “deteriorating performance” in processing and releasing the Performance-Based Bonus of public school teachers and non-teaching personnel.

DepEd, in an update on its official Facebook page on May 1, did not give a definite date for the release of PBB for 2019. The process it has laid down is seen to take up to 1 to 3 months, or more, before the delayed benefit can be released to the employees.

“Pinakamalalang kapalpakan ito na aabutin na ng isa’t kalahating taon ay wala pa rin ang inaasahang PBB ng mga guro at kawani ng DepEd. Matindi ang epekto nito lalo ngayon na sobrang gipit na ang mga guro dahil sa napakalaking gastos sa distance learning,” Raymond Basilio, ACT secretary general, said.

Basilio said the Education department’s performance in the processing and releasing of PBB continue to worsen every year and is deeply alarming as it already impacts negatively on teachers’ welfare.

PBB was initiated by the Aquino administration in 2013, to give incentives to outstanding performance of government employees and officials, based on their year-end performance evaluations.

The PBB amounts to 65 percent of the employees’ monthly salary, which is equivalent to P13,490 for the Teacher 1 position, up to P16,400 for Teacher 3.

Basilio called on the Duterte administration to “end the sufferings of public school teachers who have long endured grave neglect and inhumane treatment from the government.”