TEACHERS unions under the Alliance of Concerned Teachers held a national day of action on Friday to demand payment for their overtime work.

Over 200 teachers staged a picket rally in front of the Department of Education central office where they hung a giant demand letter for their overtime pay.

Cebu teacher-unionists also held a picket at the regional office of the Civil Service Commission in Lahug, Cebu City, while other chapters participated through selfie protests, school hopping and trooping to division offices.

“Ngayon ay Pambansang Araw ng Paniningil sa DepEd para sa Overtime Pay ng mga Guro. Pagpupugay sa lahat ng mga gurong matapang na tumitindig para sa kanilang karapatan! Malinaw nating inirerehistro ngayong araw na hindi tayo papayag sa abuso ng pamahalaang ito sa mga guro at kawalan ng malasakit. Igigiit natin ang ganang atin at pananagutin ang mga pabaya,” Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, said.

On October 26, 2021, 20 days after the October 5 deadline set by ACT for the payment of teachers’ overtime, officials of DepEd and other concerned agencies held another dialogue with ACT and ACT Teachers Party-list.

Basilio cited Section 14 of the 1966 Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, which provides for the granting of additional compensation of at least 25 percent of teachers’ regular remuneration for “co-curricula and out of school activities and any other activities outside of what is defined as normal duties of any teacher.”

He also pointed to the circular issued by the CSC and the Department of Budget and Management declaring as overtime services work rendered beyond the normal 8 work hours on scheduled workdays or 40 hours a week, and those rendered on rest days or scheduled days off, holidays, and special non-working days.

ACT said that public school teachers worked for a total of 297 days last school year, including on Saturdays starting from October 5, 2020 until the very last day of classes on July 10.

“It’s a shame that DepEd is at the forefront of the government’s refusal to properly recognize and remunerate teachers’ services, despite knowing full well that it was their hard work and perseverance enabled the delivery of education amid the pandemic and utter state abandonment and ineptitude. Paying teachers what is due them was the least they can do, pero kahit iyon ipinagkakait pa rin ng DepEd at ng Duterte admin,” Basilio said.