As part of its preparations for the upcoming polls, the Department of Education (DepEd) will establish an Election Task Force (ETF) and its operation and monitoring center.
DepEd has issued Memorandum No. 10, series of 2022 or the Establishment of the 2022 DepEd Election Task Force (ETF) and its Operation and Monitoring Center in the Central, Regional, and Schools/City Division Offices in Connection with the May 09, 2022 National and Local Elections (NLE).
The 2022 DepEd ETF Operation and Monitoring Center for the upcoming NLE will be established at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Central Office starting at 1 p.m. of May 08 and ending at 5 p.m of May 10.
The DepEd is one of the national agencies deputized by COMELEC to ensure free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections, through the appointment of public school teachers to serve as chairpersons and members of the Election Board, as well as Technical Support Personnel.
DepEd Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua and Undersecretary Revsee A. Escobedo are designated as Chair and Vice Chair of the DepEd ETF Operations and Monitoring Center, respectively.
They shall create committees and appoint their respective chairs and vice chairs, for approval of Secretary Leonor Briones. “The creation of such committees and appointment of its respective chairs and vice chairs shall be made weeks before the day of NLE for preparatory purposes,” DepEd said.
The Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs shall immediately constitute and submit the names of their members, for the approval of the Chair and Vice Chair of the DepEd ETF.
Likewise, all regional and schools/city division offices of DepEd were also authorized to establish their respective ETF Operations and Monitoring Centers on the same schedules.
The functions of ETF members include maintaining an Operation and Monitoring Center to document and report all teacher and school-related issues and concerns before, during, and after the Elections and ensuring that teachers are provided with and/or referred to adequate information, technical and legal assistance in the course of the performance of their duties as members of the Electoral Board.
The ETF will also serve as DepEd institutional link to volunteer organizations and individuals and are expected to provide close horizontal and vertical coordination and consultation among DepEd, Comelec and partner agencies involved in the 2022 NLE.
Moreover, the ETF is also expected to complement the other government agencies' efforts for an “honest, orderly and peaceful election.”
Meanwhile, nationwide orientations, training/fora to brief teachers and officials who are members of the ETF will be organized.
These orientations, training/fora shall cover the procedures on the use of digital signatures, enhancement and updates to the mobile monitoring application systems, Covid-19 protocols, do's and don'ts before, during, and after the Elections, and other election-related concerns.
DepEd said that the ETF will also ensure that teachers shall be provided with adequate information, technical and legal assistance in the course of the performance of their duties as members of the Election Board, as well as DepEd non-teaching personnel who will serve during the NLE.
Likewise, all DepEd officials and personnel, being in the civil service, were also reminded “not to intervene directly or indirectly in any election campaign or engage in any partisan political activity, except to vote.”