DepEd relieves teachers of 4Ps work in schools

The Department of Education (DepEd) said they will no longer allow teachers to do the monitoring of students receiving cash aid under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), in a bid to reduce their administrative tasks.

In a letter dated October 20, 2022, DepEd Undersecretary and chief of staff Epimaco Densing III informed Social Welfare and Development Secretary Erwin Tulfo of the agency’s decision, after identifying that teachers were being tasked to monitor and generate reports for the 4Ps in schools.

“[W]e shall no longer allow our teachers to facilitate the monitoring of 4Ps in their respective institutions of learning. This is in line with the Department of Education’s thrust that teachers shall focus on teaching,” the letter read.

“As such, we intend to advise at the soonest possible time our teachers to turn over these tasks to your personnel,” it added.

Citing Republic Act Number 11310 or the 4Ps Act, Densing said DepEd personnel are not mandated to monitor and accomplish reports regarding the program.

Section 49 (2) of the law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations, however, states that as a member of the National Advisory Council (NAC) and Regional Advisory Council, DepEd shall “help monitor and evaluate the program operations particularly on the compliance of the qualified household-beneficiaries with the conditions for education.”

The agency shall also ensure that supply of educational facilities, teachers, and educational materials are available in 4PSs target areas; and develop innovative ways or strategies in ensuring that the supplies or facilities for education are accessible for the homeless families, itinerant Indigenous People, and those in and from Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA).

For DSWD's part, Undersecretary Eduardo Punay said Thursday that teachers play a big role in the implementation of 4Ps, considering the DepEd is their partner-agency in this program.

“Ngunit nais nating linawin na ang mga guro natin sa DepEd ay hindi po involved sa distribution or pamamahagi nitong mga 4Ps na mga payouts at mga grants. Ang kanila pong role under sa implementing rules and regulations…ay monitoring. Sila po ay naatasan na magmonitor ng attendance sa klase ng mga estudyante ng ating mga 4Ps beneficiaries,” he said in a public briefing.

(We want to clarify that our DepEd teachers are not involved in the distribution of the 4Ps payouts and grants. Their role, under the implementing rules and regulations, is monitoring. They were assigned to monitor the class attendance of the students of our 4Ps beneficiaries.)

Punay said that the DSWD is coordinating with DepEd to clarify the matter and to determine solutions moving forward.

“Importante rin po kasi ang role ng ating guro. Hindi natin puwedeng bitawan ang kanilang role dito sa implementation ng ating 4Ps,” he added.

(The role of our teachers is also important. We cannot let go of their role in the implementation of our 4Ps.)

In response to Densing, DSWD Undersecretary Jerico Javier also said the DSWD is in the process of making the compliance monitoring among 4Ps beneficiaries “more efficient” through the use of mobile applications and web-based platforms.

He said the DSWD is also preparing its ICT infrastructure to integrate with DepEd’s Learner Information System. The agencies’ data sharing agreement is also being crafted to monitor the attendance and update the profile of the beneficiaries, he added.

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers welcomed the push of DepEd to take off the teachers’ 4Ps task.

They also reiterated their call for the removal of other non-teaching duties imposed by other agencies, local government units, and the DepEd itself to the educators.

“Non-teaching duties are added burdens that take up the time of our teachers better devoted to lesson preparations, improving learning quality and other teaching-related tasks,” said ACT chairperson Vladimer Quetua.

For DepEd’s part, spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa has repeatedly said that they are looking at “reducing or totally eliminating” the administrative and special tasks of teachers.

He also said that DepEd will determine how many non-teaching personnel will be hired based on their assessment on the volume of administrative tasks of teachers. — RSJ, GMA News