The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has nodded to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) request to increase the honoraria of teaching and non-teaching personnel who will serve during the 2022 national and local elections.

Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones broke this good news in a statement issued Thursday, June 3, even as thanked the poll body for giving in to their proposal.

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“We want to express our gratitude to the Comelec for approving our request for higher compensation for our teachers that will render their services in the next year’s election. Given the current health situation, it is rightful for them to receive additional allowance,” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said.

In a formal letter to Comelec Chairman Sheriff M. Abas dated February 15, Briones asked that the honoraria of teachers who will serve as Electoral Board (EB) and poll workers in the 2022 polls be increased and that additional benefits be extended to them due to the situation brought by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Related story: https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/15/deped-eyes-higher-compensation-other-benefits-of-poll-workers-for-2022-elections/

Citing the response letter of Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas dated April 29, through Executive Director Bartolome J. Sinocruz, Jr., the DepEd said the poll body "fully supported” the increase in poll workers’ honoraria by P3,000.

The DepEd batted that the Chairperson of Electoral Boards be given compensation amounting to P9,000, P8,000 for EB members; P7,000 for DepEd Supervisor Official (DESO); and P5,000 for Support Staff.

The DepEd cited that aside from the increased honoraria, "Comelec will include the provision of transportation allowance, food and water allowance, and clean-up and repair/maintenance expenses as part of its budget proposal for the 2022 elections.”

The department said the health insurance coverage for poll workers who will be infected with COVID "will also be part of the budget proposal.”

The DepEd said other benefits such as on-site swab testing, shifting, and working hours of public school teachers in the EB, tax exemption, and any absence/transfer/leave of DepEd employees due to election-related incidents have yet to be studied by both sides.

"With DepEd and the teachers’ vital participation in the 2022 National and Local Elections, we will continue our dialogue with COMELEC to ensure the health and welfare of our teachers and personnel who will be sitting in the polling,” Briones said.

DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua, who tackled the agency’s proposed higher compensation of poll workers with the Comelec as early as February 8 this year, said Congress has the final say on the matter.

“While DepEd and Comelec both agreed on the proposal, the proposed increase will still need the approval of Congress when they deliberate the annual budget” he said.

The DepEd said it has proposed the setting up of Comelec-DepEd Monitoring and Coordination Teams to "ensure that teachers will be technically and legally equipped for the upcoming elections.” The creation of the joint monitoring teams is part of the 2022 DepEd Election Task Force, composed of select officials and personnel from the different levels of DepEd governance.

Citing the Comelec, the department said the honoraria for members of the Monitoring and Coordination Teams "will also be put forward in the budget.”