A group of education workers is pushing an additional funding amounting to P2 billion to increase the honoraria and allowances of poll workers in the 2022 national and local elections.
“Our teachers will yet again be at the frontlines of another election,” Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines Secretary General Raymond Basilio said.
“In the midst of the pandemic and clearly tumultuous political climate, we hope that our duly elected legislators will exhaust all means to ensure that our poll workers will be adequately compensated and protected in the line of duty come May 2022,” he added.
For ACT, the additional funding will “more or less suffice” to cover their demand for substantial raises to the compensation of poll workers. “We have no doubts that the country has enough resources to cover the additional P2 billion needed for this,” Basilio said.
Basilio explained that the amount will enable the granting of the following P10,000 honorarium and P500 Anti-COVID allowance for Electoral Board (EB) Chairpersons; P9,000 honorarium for EB members; P8,000 honorarium for DESOs; P7,000 honorarium for support staff; P2,500 for food allowance; and at least P3,000 for travel allowance.
ACT is also calling for the provision of “easily accessible legal and medical services” in polling precincts which can be provided to both poll workers and voters.