Around 1 million teaching and non-teaching personnel will start receiving their subscriber identity module, or SIM cards with connectivity load, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Monday, July 12.
DepEd said it has begun distributing SIM cards to its personnel in Central and Field Offices as part of its commitment to provide essential services and assistance amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a memorandum released by the Office of the Undersecretary for Administration (OUA) on July 1, the department said permanent, contractual, local government unit-paid personnel working under its schools and offices are eligible to receive SIM cards.
“This is part of our commitment to deliver the promises of the Bayanihan 2 Act. Through the support of our President, our lawmakers, and our field offices, DepEd has ensured that our personnel and teachers can efficiently provide basic education services to our learners despite the situation,” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said in a statement on Monday.
DepEd said the Asset Management Division (AMD) is tasked to turn over the SIM cards to DepEd Central Office personnel, while the Regional Supply Officer will be issuing the cards at the regional level.
Schools Division Office (SDO) personnel and Schools Property Custodian will receive the grant from the Division Supply Officer and will allocate the data allowance to school personnel.
The SIM cards have to be distributed to all teaching and non-teaching personnel until July 23, DepEd reminded.
The department said all SIM cards will be activated with an initial 34GB load, which is consumable for one year.
The SIM cards are expected to be registered by supply officers and Schools Property Custodian to https://depedconnect.com.ph for the allocation of load for the second month.
“The Department has procured the SIM cards and connectivity load from our external partner for all the teaching and non-teaching personnel to ensure ease in communication and unhampered delivery of services amid the crisis,” Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua said.
DepEd-Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) are due to receive a total of 119,909 sim cards. It will load connectivity for its teaching and non-teaching personnel.
Meanwhile, DepEd-Central Luzon will acquire 101,616 SIM cards, and DepEd-National Capital Region will receive 88,781 SIM cards.
"SIM cards that are not distributed to schools and SDO personnel by the end of July 2021 will be returned to the Division Supply Officers for appropriate accounting. The same applies to the Regional Supply Officers for regional personnel,” DepEd said.