DepEd Sec. Lapus: Full payment of bonus assured
Reports from the regional offices of the Department of Education (DepEd) show that the P7,000 bonus of public school teachers had been fully paid out.
The 554,000 education personnel, majority of whom are teachers, received P7,000 of their P10,000 Christmas bonus early this month. The bonus is officially referred to as the Productivity Enhancement Incentive. The remaining P3,000 will come from the savings of the agency.
“As agreed with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the additional P3,000 bonus of the teachers will be paid as soon as possible,” said Education Secretary Jesli Lapus.
“Of the P1.6 Billion we need, P550 Million in savings have been released by regional and division offices and schools,” explained Lapus. Regarding the P1.1 Billion balance, Lapus assured, “If we have to sacrifice funds allocated for other programmed expenditures to give all our teachers the full benefits due them, we will do it.”
Meantime, the cash bonus for teachers in Rodriguez, Rizal that was stolen late December is in the process of being replaced.
DepEd through its Region IV-A office is making appropriate arrangements to immediately replace the teachers’ bonus forcibly taken by robbers. An investigation is currently being undertaken by the Rizal Police and DepEd.
The heist occurred last December 29 where some P4.9 M, allotted as cash gifts for 800 teachers in Rizal, was grabbed at gunpoint by robbers. According to DepEd Region IV-A Director Paraluman Giron, the regional office is doing its best to replace the amount from available funds.
“The welfare and benefits of our employees take paramount priority,” Lapus said. “They have stayed committed to the profession and to providing quality education of our children.”
Late last year, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced the release of P10,000 Christmas bonus for government employees. The P7,000 will come from the national government and the remaining P3,000 will come from the savings of the agencies.
The more than 500,000-strong agency needs more than five billion pesos to pay out the P10,000 Christmas bonus of its employees, majority of whom are teachers. (PR)
- DBM to release P7,000 add’l cash gift this week
- City Hall officials, employees to get additional bonus
- DepEd closely monitors schools in Mt. Mayon area
- Gov’t personnel to receive P10,000 Productivity Enhancement Incentive
- National Achievement Test set in March
