Teachers Group demands recall of DepEd’s ‘devious’ order on teachers vacation pay

JUST IN! In this post we are sharing with you the latest news release from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Philippines.

We just want to let the teachers know about the reactions of the ACT teacher group DepEd Memorandum No. 056 or the COMPUTATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS' PROPORTIONAL VACATION PAY FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2020-2021.

Here's the NEWS RELEASE:

17 August 2021
ACT demands recall of DepEd’s ‘devious’ order on teachers vacation pay
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines demanded for the recall of the Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 56, released yesterday, which the group said presented a ‘devious’ computation of the rightful proportional vacation pay (PVP) of public school teachers. ACT exposed that the directive ordered for deductions on teachers’ vacation pay despite them rendering four months of overtime work, which remained uncompensated.

 
“Masyado nang pandurugas ito sa mga guro! Ang DepEd ang may utang sa guro sa apat na buwan na overtime, bakit kakaltasan pa ang sweldo ngayong bakasyon sa bawat limang araw na pagliban noong pasukan?” protested Raymond Basilio, ACT Secretary General.

 
PVP is the salary that teachers receive during school break, a counterpart leave benefit for lack of sick leave and vacation leave credits accorded to other government workers. Basilio explained that PVP usually operates on a calendar year framework wherein the year is divided between the number of actual days served and the number of days for Christmas break plus school break.

 
“Our teachers have served for a total of 389 days in the last school year as compared to less than 300 days in previous years. This number even exceeded the days in a year, but DepEd cheated in its computation by not taking this fact into consideration. What is fair and just is for DepEd to compensate teachers’ days of overtime and recall this order that would effect salary deductions for absences,” asserted Basilio.

 
Basilio pressed DepEd for the issuance of the guidelines for the compensation of teachers’ overtime, as promised by the agency in a dialogue between the group, the DepEd and the Civil Service Commission last June.

 
“Good news ang hinihintay namin, bakit perwisyo na naman itong inilabas ng DepEd? Their commitment is to grant service credits for each day of overtime work, which teachers can use to off-set absences. They even promised to request for funding from the budget agency to pay for the 25% overtime premium of teachers. Nasaan na ang mga pangakong ito?” demanded Basilio.
Basilio called on DepEd to respect the labor rights of teachers, which he said were grossly violated under distance learning.

 
“Despite this order which declares 80 days of paid vacation for teachers, DepEd is non-stop in issuing work instructions. After 13 months of gruelling work in the last school year, overtime work for teachers is still on, again, without proper compensation. Our teachers are not slaves, this is plainly inhumane!” concluded Basilio.#

Source:Official FB Page of Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Philippines @

https://web.facebook.com/actph1982/