Solon wants teachers prioritized for booster shots, SRAs amid face-to-face classes

Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo on Monday urged the national government to prioritize teachers for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots.

In her privilege speech during the plenary session, Quimbo, a teacher by profession, underscored that teachers who would be going to school for face-to-face classes are at a higher risk of getting infected with COVID-19.

"I will file a House resolution to urge the Department of Health to prioritize teachers for booster shots. This will add an extra layer of protection for teachers as they physically report in schools and teach face-to-face classes," Quiimbo said.

"Nagawa na po nating kumbinsihin ang executive this year na itaas ang priority ng teachers sa vaccination (We were able to convince the executive department to prioritize teachers for vaccinations.). For sure, they will listen to our pleas to prioritize teachers for booster doses as well," she added.

The Philippines began the inoculation of healthcare workers with booster shots on November 17 while seniors and immunocompromised individuals started receiving boosters shots on November 22.

On December 3, the government started administering booster shots to all fully vaccinated adults.

Quimbo also called for providing teachers with special risk allowances as they have been exposed to the threat of coronavirus amid the pilot implementation of face-to-face classes in some schools.

Quimbo's House Resolution 2410 stressed the need for teachers to receive SRAs as face-to-face classes require them to work with a largely unvaccinated population.

She filed the resolution on Monday afternoon.

"Malinaw po na may tsansang magka-COVID ang teacher in their line of work lalo na kung nagtuturo physically (It's clear that teachers have a higher risk of getting infected with COVID-19 especially if they are physically present when teaching). It is reasonable for the teachers to be given special risk allowances to allow them to spend more for protective equipment and to compensate them should they get sick in the line of duty," Quimbo said.

The lawmaker urged the Department of Education to look for funds for this purpose.

"The DepEd has stated that there is no budget allocated towards providing teachers additional risk allowances, despite the evident risk they will be exposed to upon teaching face-to-face classes," Quimbo said.

Waiver

Meanwhile, Quimbo also disclosed that there have been reports that some teachers are being required to sign a waiver, which states that the Department of Education is not liable if a teacher contracted the deadly virus.

She said that according to the DepEd, this waiver is not a national policy. Quimbo then urged the agency to advise their regional offices not to require their teachers to sign the said waiver.

"Ayon sa waiver, walang pananagutan ang DepEd kung magkakasakit o magkaroon man ng COVID ang teacher kaya kung magka-COVID because of work ang isang guro, mag-isa na lang po niya itong proproblemahin (The waiver states that DepEd could not be held liable if the teachers will get infected with COVID-19.)," Quimbo said.

"And for the record, in a Committee on Basic Education and Culture hearing held last week, the DepEd said that the waiver requirement is not a national policy. And so I, therefore, urge the department to advise their regional offices and school divisions to refrain from requiring our teachers to sign such waivers for the conduct of face-to-face classes," Quimbo said.

She added: "Mas gaganahan po magtrabaho ang masisipag nating teachers kung ramdam po nila na nasa likod nila ang gobyerno, anuman ang mangyari (Our teachers will work harder if they could feel that the government is behind them.)."

On December 6, at least 28 public schools in the National Capital Region started conducting pilot face-to-face classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. — DVM, GMA News