Teachers' Bonus Released on Time, But Cut in Half

by Teachers' Dignity, December 24, 2012

The productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) of public school teachers and government employees was released on-time according to the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC). However, the group’s monitoring this weekend revealed that several schools in some areas like Quezon City in NCR and Sultan Kudarat, Cotabato and ARMM provinces in Mindanao failed to receive the one-time across-the-board incentive of P5, 000.00 last Friday, the last working day before the long weekend. The reason for this, according to the group is likely technicalities on the procedure in the field. But it does not mean that the DBM or DepEd failed to release the amount.

The TDC reiterated their appeal to DBM and Malacanang to defer the implementation of the Performance-Based Bonus (PBB). Under the PBB scheme, teachers and government employees will again receive another amount ranging from P5, 000. 00 to P35, 000.00 depending on the performance rating/ranking of the employees and the agencies they work and expected to be released within the first quarter of 2013. The group, earlier this month assailed the government for cutting their PEI by half, since they received a total of P10, 000.00 beginning year 2007. They also protest the PBB which according to them is a deceptive ploy that would further divide the field and could not be used as a basis for the merit-based incentive this year, especially in the DepEd because it has no clear-cut implementing policy and is too late.

It is recalled that the teachers led by TDC sang Christmas carols and had a dialogue with DBM officials to convey the message to the president. The group is waiting for at least an announcement from Malacanang if it is going to push through with the PBB or will just give an additional P5, 000.00 to make it equal as the preceding 5 five years, a system which according to DBM officials is more practical and economical on the part of government.