ADVERTISEMENT

News

Comelec willing to work with DepEd on higher pay for 2022 poll workers

By JOAHNA LEI CASILAO,GMA News

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is willing to work with the Department of Education (DepEd) regarding its request to provide additional pay for teaching and non-teaching personnel serving as poll workers in the 2022 elections.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez issued the statement on Thursday after Education Secretary Lenior Briones wrote to Comelec to increase the honoraria for poll workers amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

“[T]he Comelec recognizes the invaluable role played by teachers in ensuring the success of elections,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez told GMA News Online.

“Accordingly, the Comelec is willing to work with the DepEd in order to find ways to either accommodate their requests or, in the appropriate instances, to help them achieve the results they seek,” he added.

The DepEd is seeking compensation of P9,000 for the Chairperson of the Electoral Boards and P8,000 for other board members.

ADVERTISEMENT

It also proposed that the Department of Education Supervisor Official should be paid P7,000 while the support staff will be paid P5,000.

The agency also requested poll workers to receive hazard pay of P500 each day as well as a P1,000 allowance for food and water and P2,000 for transportation expenses.

Meanwhile, DepEd said teachers should only work for a maximum of eight hours, including the preparation and the post-election activities.

It added that funds must be provided for the maintenance and repair of schools that will be used as voting centers.

The DepEd also requested Comelec for the grant of honoraria for the selected members of the Comelec-DepEd Monitoring and Coordination teams from the central and field offices under the 2022 DepEd Election Task Force.

The 2022 elections will be held on May 9. — BM, GMA News