A group of education workers on Friday, March 10, said that an increase in honoraria as well as in the allowance of teachers who serve in the elections is “better” than giving the compensation of poll workers in advance.
(ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Our poll workers only deserve honoraria and allowances that justly compensate the strenuous and hazardous election duties,” said Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines Chairperson Vladimer Quetua in a statement.
The group is also demanding an increase in net honoraria and allowance of poll workers instead of advance payment after the Department of Education (DepEd), led by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, suggested to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to pay teachers in advance for their service during polls during 2023 National Election Summit on March 9.
For ACT, increasing the net honoraria and allowances will “better solve the problems that poll workers face in relation to their compensation” instead of giving teachers advance pay for poll duties.
For the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE 2023) in December, ACT demanded increases in poll workers’ honoraria and allowances and to ensure that such would be in net amounts after taxes have been deducted.
ACT asks for hiking the honoraria of the board of election inspectors from P6,000 to P7,000 gross in the 2022 National and Local Elections to P9,000 to 10,000 net in the BSKE 2023, for members and chairman respectively. The group also wants an increase in travel allowance from P2,000 to P3,000 and a grant of P2,500 food allowance.
Quetua pointed out that if the Congress sees it fit to give P10,000 per day to members of the planned Constitutional Convention, “it is all the more justified to grant P10,000 net honorarium to teachers and other election workers who dedicate an average of five to seven days to election service.”
ACT noted that since the 2022 election, the inflation rate has breached the six percent mark and has continuously increased up to almost nine percent in the last two months.
“As most affected here are food and transportation prices, it is only appropriate to adjust the travel allowance, and give a separate food allowance to poll workers,” Quetua added.
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