On July 11, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced that it was looking into calls for a wage increase for teachers, with Spokesperson Michael Poa emphasizing that the agency could not independently alter or raise salaries due to the standardization law governing teacher’s wages.
In order to better understand the competitiveness of teachers’ salaries “on their own without comparing them to other industries,” DepEd has enlisted the services of independent third-party experts. This move marks a significant shift towards an evidence-based approach to wage evaluation, something Poa detailed in a recent Palace briefing.
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“We also want to know, in preparing this study, what the rate of increase should be, considering the inflation rates,” Poa stated. He further explained that once the study is complete, DepEd will be able to make evidence-based decisions on whether a salary increase is warranted.
Teachers’ bonuses for 2021 have been delayed due to procedural issues, according to Poa, even after the release of around P950 million for this purpose. However, Poa assured teachers that the bonus is due to be received after the processing, which is expected to take around two to three weeks.
Addressing the delay, Poa emphasized that it is part of the process: “It’s really the process, there is indeed a reconciliation because we are talking about the bonus year of 2021, so we have to make sure that the employees who will receive the bonus were actually working in 2021.”
As part of the reconciliation process, the department will have to account for changes in the number of employees throughout the year due to hirings and resignations.
“If you check the records now, they would no longer match because the number of employees may have changed, some were only hired recently, others have left, so that’s why there is an ongoing reconciliation,” Poa concluded.
As the DepEd engages in this comprehensive study, many teachers and other stakeholders in the educational community are closely monitoring developments, hopeful for positive changes to come.
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