By now, public school teachers should have received their P1,000 incentive for this year’s World Teachers Day (WTD) celebration.
This, after the Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday, Oct. 11, assured that it started releasing the World Teachers Day Incentive Benefit (WTDIB) in the amount of P1,000 to all public school teachers nationwide on Oct. 5.
“Sa World Teachers Day ay talagang binibigyan natin ng gift ang teachers na P1,000 each and this amounted to 910,000,000 na which is due all our teachers and staff on this very important day (On World Teachers Day, we are actually giving teachers a gift of P1,000 each and this amounted to 910,000,000 which is due to all our teachers and staff on this very important day),” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said.
Introduced during the administration of Briones and supported by President Duterte, the WTDIB aims to acknowledge the crucial role of educators during the pandemic and appreciate their dedication and commitment to their noble profession.
Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said that DepEd has processed the payment as early as August and started releasing the incentive by Oct. 5 as required by the budget law.
“Yung iba po, kung magkakaroon man ng delay, it would be probably because of their quarantine status, banking hours, remittance of the cash payment but huwag po silang mag-alala yung Oct. 5 is the start of the giving but the processing, we started as early as August (For others, if there is a delay, it would probably be because of their quarantine status, banking hours, remittance of the cash payment but they should not worry because Oct. 5 is the start of the giving but the processing, we started as early as August),” Sevilla said.
For this year’s WTD celebration, Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs, Project Management, and External Partnerships Tonisito Umali Esq. Said that there was a celebratory program which happened last Oct. 5 in Lahug, Cebu.
“Ang focus po natin dito ay yung pagkilala sa mga guro po natin (Our focus here is to get to recognize our teachers),” Umali said.
“There were AVPs, video presentation highlighting the sacrifices of our teachers to make sure that our basic education learning continuity plan or learning shall continue,” he added.
He also emphasized that for the first time, higher education institution teachers including professors in colleges and universities and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) instructors are encouraged to join the event.
Together with the private sector, DeEd has prepared various activities, such as informative webinars about different government agencies’ benefits and programs and virtual Teachers Got Talent, and perks and discounts from restaurants, theme parks, and museums for the teachers to enjoy.
Aside from the celebration of WTD, Oct. 5 also marks the commemoration of the National Teachers’ Day and the culmination of the National Teachers’ Month which, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 242, runs from Sept. 5 to Oct. 5 of every year.