DBM, DepEd OK performance-based bonuses of teachers, non-teachers

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday announced the approval of the Fiscal Year 2023 performance-based bonus (PBB) of qualified teaching and non-teaching personnel.

In a joint statement, both agencies said the approval of the DepEd personnel’s bonus came after the endorsement of their eligibility by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Harmonization of National Government Performance Monitoring, Information, and Reporting Systems (AO25 Task Force).

The Education Department met the eligibility criteria with a total score of 80 points in the assessment, making the agency qualified for the highest PBB rate of 52% of the monthly basic salary — an improvement from the previous two years’ rate of 45.5% (2021) and 48.75% (2022).

For example, a Teacher I with a monthly salary of P27,000 (salary grade 11), under the rate of 52%, is expected to receive approximately P14,040 in PBB.

“The approval of the 2023 PBB for DepEd workforce reflects our shared commitment to recognize the hard work and vital contributions of our educators to national development,” said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

“With the strong support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we are ensuring that performance and dedication are rewarded accordingly,” she added.

For the prompt disbursement of bonuses to qualified personnel, the DBM will coordinate with the DepEd for the issuance of Special Allotment Release Orders and Notices of Cash Allocation.

The Education Department’s regional and division offices will be notified once the funds are ready for release.

For his part, Education Secretary Sonny Angara expressed his appreciation to the DBM and the AO25 Task Force for acknowledging the efforts of the education sector.

“Our teachers and education personnel are the backbone of our nation’s future,”said Angara.

“This bonus is a testament to their unwavering dedication. We thank our partners in government for their continued support in uplifting the teaching profession,” he added.

The announcement comes as the country concludes the annual National Teachers’ Month, further emphasizing the administration’s thrust to strengthen teacher support systems.

In a separate Teachers’ Day message, Pangandaman reiterated the administration’s broader reforms aimed at improving teacher welfare.

“We’ve opened thousands of new teaching and non-teaching positions to ease your workload, doubled your teaching allowance, and created clearer, fairer career paths so that no teacher will retire as Teacher I,” said the Budget chief.

“We have also provided every teacher with a medical allowance, because your health and well-being matter just as much as the lessons you teach. These are only the first steps.We promise to keep listening, keep finding ways to do more, give more, and keep fighting for an education system that truly cares for those who nurture our children,” she added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News