Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte (Rep. Villafuerte's office)

Even vocational instructors and librarians are entitled to the higher teaching allowance provided by Republic Act (RA) No. 11997, or the “Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act".

Thus, said Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte, a co-author of the celebrated law.

“The 100 percent increase in the current teaching allowance of P5,000 yearly per teacher in recognition of the invaluable contribution of our educators to nation-building is certainly timely in the face of sticky inflation,” he said.

Villafuerte said the P10,000 allowance next school year awaits not only public school teachers with teaching loads in basic education but even vocational instructors, librarians, guidance counselors, and teachers in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) and community learning centers as well.

Villafuerte says this doubled teaching allowance is tax-free and is considered an outright expense, so that the beneficiaries no longer have to submit or present official receipts (ORs) as proof of their purchases.

The Bicolano at the same time lauded newly-appointed Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara for the prompt approval of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the law that bumps up the annual allowance of public school teachers for their purchases of teaching supplies and materials, payment of incidental expenses, and the implementation of various learning delivery modes in their respective schools.

Angara signed the IRR at the onset of August, or just two months after President Marcos signed RA No.11997 last May 31. Angara, a former senator, began his current role as education chief only last July 19.

Villafuerte is majority leader of the Commission on Appointments (CA), which is the bicameral panel that screens presidential appointees. The CA had confirmed swiftly the DepEd posting of Angara.

Villafuerte noted that under the IRR approved by Angara, RA No.11997’s beneficiaries are “public school teachers engaged in classroom teaching, whether permanent or provisional, including guidance counselors, school librarians, industrial arts or vocational instructors, and all other persons performing supervisory and/or administrative functions in all public schools".

Additionally, the IRR states that, “ALS and mobile teachers, and district ALS coordinators, in all public elementary, junior, and senior high schools, and community learning centers are included.”

Teaching load refers to the actual teaching hours or minutes rendered by teachers in the classrooms.