As part of its commitment to ensuring the orderly conduct of the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the Department of Education (DepEd) will be deploying around half a million teachers and personnel for poll duties.
“Our teaching and non-teaching personnel have and will continue to perform their duties and responsibilities as Electoral Boards, DepEd Supervisor Officials, Barangay Board of Canvassers, Support Staff, among others, in the elections, as part of their oath to safeguard and pave the way for all Filipino learners to a brighter future,” Undersecretary for Operations Atty. Revsee Escobedo, who also serves as the chairman of the DepEd Election Task Force, said.
DepEd recently joined the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in a Multi-agency Send-off and Turnover Ceremony to showcase the government forces and resources that will be deployed for the 2023 BSKE.
For the upcoming elections, DepEd said that it will deploy 494,662. Of this number, 382,793 will serve as Electoral Boards; 25,196 will serve as DESOs; 68,873 will serve as BBOCs; and 17,800 will serve in other capacities such as substitutes, support staff, and poll clerks.
“As parents, role models, and public servants, it is our duty towards the Filipino to ensure that their rights are enforced, their quality of life improved, and the people’s voice heard,” Escobedo said.
“I sincerely believe that all of us gathered today are prepared to do what is necessary to safeguard our countrymen’s rights,” he added.
Preparations
Through the establishment of the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election Task Force (BSK-ETF) under DepEd Memorandum No. 63 s. 2023, the agency vowed to provide adequate information and technical and legal assistance to teachers and non-teaching personnel in the course of the performance of their duties on Oct. 30.
DepEd also previously signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with COMELEC and the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to protect teachers from numerous election offenses and/or administrative complaints.
Moreover, DepEd also conducted a nationwide orientation and training to ensure that task force members know the procedure for conducting the elections.
DepEd said the training covered information on mall voting, early voting for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, election procedures before, during, and after, and other election concerns.
Meanwhile, DepEd reminded its officials and personnel “not to intervene directly or indirectly in any election campaign or engage in any partisan political activity except to vote.”
To report election-related issues and concerns, DepEd urged all concerned to contact BSKE hotline numbers: (02) 8559 9951 and (02) 8567 4560.
For concerns related to teachers and schools, all concerned were asked to call the DepEd dedicated hotline at (02) 8559 9753.