MANILA, Philippines – While expressing their appreciation for the government’s effort to continue the granting of the productivity enhancement incentive (PEI) pay, public school teachers, however, said Monday that they are dismayed by the delay in the release of their Christmas bonus. “We are a bit disappointed by its delay because teachers nationwide expect a merry Christmas and thus anticipated its release to our respective schools before the break starts,” said Teachers’ Dignity Coalition-National Capital Region (TDC-NCR) Chairman Nono Enguerra.
He added that based on Department of Budget Management (DBM) Circular 2010-3, the PEI was supposedly released last Dec. 15. “We just hope that it will be released on or before Christmas Eve on Dec. 24,” Enguerra said.
As per TDC monitoring, only Manila teachers have received their PEI as of Dec. 16. TDC is a 30,000-strong group which has members all over the country.
Meanwhile, Education Secretary Armin Luistro appealed for teachers to be more patient when it comes to receiving their Christmas bonus.
“We are asking for a little more patience from our teachers,” he said, at the same time urging a little understanding when it comes to the delay. “We are trying to ensure that the promised incentive will be given before New Year,” he added.
Last Friday, Dec. 17, Luistro ordered the release of PEI pay as per DBM release of funds. The extra P10,000, he said, is an expression of the government’s appreciation for public school teachers’ hard work.
“However, it takes at least six days for the banks to clear the checks,” he explained. This means that the coursed through the release of the bonus will fall days after Christmas day.
Luistro explained that of the P10,000, P7,000 comes from national savings released by the DBM to government offices as ordered by President Benigno Aquino III through Administrative Order No. 3. “The additional P3,000 will come from the savings from us or the respective government agency,” he said.
Despite the delay, Luistro said he is hopeful that the teachers will be able to receive their bonus before classes resume in January 2011. “The incentive was earned by the teachers for a job well done. We look forward to another productive year for education in 2011,” he added.
Earlier, Luistro reminded teachers and students that “the true spirit of Christmas is not in grand celebrations but in spreading love and sharing our hearts to those who are in need this holiday season.”
Moreover, gift-giving, Luistro said, should be guided by the spirit of sharing and should not lead to extravagant spending. “This will reveal a deeper understanding of the true meaning of this season — love and friendship,” he said.
Ina Hernando-Malipot, Manila Bulletin
