Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said that complicated records are hindering the release of public school teachers’ 2022 Performance-Based Bonus (PBB), but assured that this will still push through.
During a first dialogue with the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), Pangandaman maintained that despite the issuance of Executive Order No. 61, which mandates a review of the Result-Based Performance Management System (RBPMS) and the Performance-Based Incentive System (PBIS), the PBB for FYs 2022 and 2023 will be released.
“The requirements today are so tedious. There are so many documents. It is timely for us to review our components and submissions for PBB. We will endeavor to streamline this process,” she said.
Gerald Janda, director for DBM’s Organization, Position and Classification and Compensation Bureau, said that it will work with the Department of Education (DepEd) to validate the submitted Form 1.0 to include personnel not reflected in the department’s Personnel Services Itemization and Plantilla of Personnel, incorrect information, and duplicate records, among others.
As of writing, Form 1.0 submissions from the DepEd Regional Offices of Metro Manila, Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, and Western Visayas, were returned for the DepEd’s revision and validation, the DBM noted.
“We must understand that the sheer size and complex structure of DepEd inherently complicates the process,” Pangandaman said.
Under Executive Order No. 61, the DBM evaluates the RBPMS and PBIS to make the process less burdensome and more effective.
These changes will align with the government's ease of doing business initiatives, the government’s medium term plan, and international standards.
TDC Chair Benjo Basas, meanwhile, announced that the coalition intends to submit a proposal to revive the previous simplified performance appraisal system for teachers.
On the other hand, the budget allocation for the FY 2024 Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) has been fully released to the DepEd since January of this year.
On the anticipated salary increase for civilian government employees, including public school teachers, the DBM confirmed that funds for the salary adjustment have been earmarked in the FY 2024 General Appropriations Act.
The DBM said a new study on compensation and benefits is underway to guide future salary tunings, which aims to create a competitive, sustainable, fair pay structure for government employees.
It noted that several options will be presented to the president for the purpose, while implementation dates and proposed rates are still being finalized.
"Thank you because it’s the first time we had a dialogue with the DBM Secretary. Normally, it’s the Usec and Asecs who face us. We appreciate the gesture," Basas said.
"People were able to speak. [the meeting was] democratic, and we were really given the space by the Secretary himself to speak up and express our concerns. With the aid of the Usecs and Asecs, we immediately got answers to our queries," he added.
"I hope we can do this [meeting] regularly so that we can have updates and solutions to the issues. The DBM is open to discussing all your needs. We will endeavor to solve whatever problem to the best of our abilities," Pangandaman said.
The TDC earlier wrote a letter to the DBM expressing its concerns regarding the PBB for FY 2022, saying teachers have been waiting for over a year for the release of their bonuses despite “having submitted all necessary requirements last year.”