DepEd denies issuing waivers to teachers conducting face-to-face classes

The Department of Education on Thursday clarified that it did not order the issuance of waivers to teachers conducting face-to-face classes, nor the implementation of a “no vaccination, no work” policy.

During a hearing of the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture, Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo said she learned that the DepEd had issued a waiver to teachers saying that the Department has no liabilities if the teachers contract COVID-19, as many will be teaching children who are not yet vaccinated.

"So because of that marami sa mga teacher sa amin ang medyo natatakot na pong mag-participate sa face-to-face classes, for obvious reasons," she said.

DepEd Undersecretary Toni Umali said they will look into the matter, but stressed that the Department did not order the issuance of such a waiver.

“Titignan po namin kung papaano po to na-articulate [We will check how it was articulated] because we would like to be responsive to the concern of our Cong. Stella,” he said.

“Wala po kaming ganyang polisiya [We do not have such a policy],” he added.

ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro also questioned an incident in Naga where school officials were allegedly implementing a “no COVID-19 vaccination, no work, no salary” policy and that unvaccinated teachers were required to present a negative RT-PCR test result.

Umali also said that the DepEd has no such policy and will look into the matter. — BM, GMA News