DepEd: 262,500 teachers to administer midterm polls

The assistance of more than 250,000 teachers is needed in the upcoming midterm polls, the Department of Education said on Tuesday.

“They are required to fill out about 262,500 members of the electoral board. By the end of the month, January 31, 2019, those who will be appointed therein as members of the electoral board shall already be finished by that time,” DepEd Undersecretary Alain Pascua said during the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the DepEd, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for the upcoming midterm elections in May.

“Hudyat na po ito ng start ng ating training sa mga electoral board [members],” Comelec chair Sheriff Abas said.

DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña said that he is expecting that the conduct of the upcoming automated elections will be smoother this year compared to the previous ones because more teachers are now ICT-savvy.

“We expect to certify 171,512 BEIs [Board of Election Inspectors] because there is a required minimum of at least one certified BEI per precinct and we will deploy 281 certifiers,” Dela Peña said.

Moreover, the Comelec and DepEd officials assured that the honoraria and allowances for the teachers who will be serving as BEIs will not be affected even if the government is still operating on a re-enacted budget.

"Well nagtanong kami sa DBM [Department of Budget and Management] regarding this, at binigyan nila kami ng sagot na pwede kaming kumuha 25 percent sa budget for the first quarter, but ang commitment naman ng mga senators at Congress ay mukhang ipapasa naman nila 'yun [2019 budget] after the first quarter, so safe na po tayo sa ibabayad," Abas said.

"Now kung wala pa rin, mayroon naman kaming savings, pwede naming hugutin para pambayad sa ating mga teachers. Nasa P4 billion, so safe tayo," he said referring to the poll body’s contingency fund.

Based on the signed MOA, the Comelec shall pay all the members of the electoral board the corresponding honoraria:

• Chairperson - P6,000
• Poll Clerk - P5,000
• Third Member - P5,000
• DepEd Supervisor Official - P4,000
• Support Staff - P2,000

The abovementioned are also entitled to travel allowance of P1,000 each and members of the electoral board who will undergo training will be given an additional travel allowance of P2,000 each.

It was provided in the MOA that the honoraria and allowances shall be paid by the Comelec within 15 days from May 13, 2019, the election day.

In case of death by reason of the performance of election service, they will also be entitled to a death benefit amounting to P500,000 each. — BM, GMA News