ABS CBN MANILA, Philippines - It is Christmas after all for teachers.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) reported today that teachers from almost all 16 Department of Education (DepEd) regions have been receiving their P10,000 Productivity Enhancement Incentives (PEI).
"We appreciate the efforts made by the DepEd leadership to ensure that there would be a merry Christmas for its half million employees, most of them teachers who are selflessly and tirelessly performing their tasks for the entire year, who deserve to be rewarded,” TDC chairperson Benjo Basas said.
Last week, DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro said there may be delays in the release of the bonus of teachers.
Department of Budget Management (DBM) Circular 2010-3 dictated that the PEI should have been released as early as December 15.
Basas noted that this is also the first time that the DepEd released the full amount of P10,000.
“Since year 2007, the PEI or Performance Bonus is divided into two tranches, the P7, 000 normally comes several days before Christmas or New Year and the P3,000 from agency savings could come as late as February of the following year,” Basas said.
TDC monitoring as of Wednesday night, however, revealed that teachers in some areas are still waiting for their PEI including those from Taguig, Paranaque, Tacloban, Iligan, Isabela, Cagayan, Negros Occidental, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Davao Oriental, Zamboanga Sibugay, Gen. Santos City, South Cotabato and Cotabato City.
“We hope that everyone will receive this Christmas bonus within this day so every family of Filipino teachers will be celebrating a bountiful noche Buena tomorrow night,” Basas said.
