Human Rights Online Philippines

Only 90% Submitted PBB requirements, DepEd Admits

While reiterating the opposition to the scheme of Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) used by the government for year 2012, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) asked the Department of Education (DepEd) to expedite the process so teachers will be able to receive the promise bonus within the month of July.

“The 6-month delay in the supposed release of this particular bonus is a manifestation that there are flaws in the scheme and it has to be reviewed.” Said Benjo Basas, the group’s national chairperson.

Earlier the group revealed that the teachers’ PBB for fiscal year 2012 has not been paid and the succeeding dialogue with some officials of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed that many agencies, especially those with large number of employees are also in the same predicament with that of the DepEd.

“It is clear that this is not the fault of the teachers and employees, yet they suffer.” Basas added.

The group also called the attention of Malacanang and asked the president to order the concerned agencies to fast track the processing of PBB release. The Palace through Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte responded by saying that the delay was caused by the late submission of documents from the DepEd field offices.

In a dialogue with the DepEd, Thursday, the TDC aired their grievance to Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo, the department’s focal person on the matter of PBB. Mateo confirmed that as of the moment, only around 90% of the DepEd system has submitted the documents and only 50% of such were validated by the DepEd.

TDC asked the DepEd to remind the remaining field offices to immediately submit the necessary requirements so it could start the process. Mateo promised them that he would call the respective schools division superintendents right after the meeting.

“Still, we believe that the scheme used by the government to reward the performing employees is defective and needed to be reviewed and amended.” Basas ended.

The PBB is an incentive granted by the government to public school teachers and other employees under President Aquino’s executive order number 80, signed in July last year. It is a merit-based incentive system that would give the employees of the government a cash bonus ranging from P5, 000 to P35, 000 depending on their and their agency’s performance. The TDC however remained apprehensive of the scheme which they describe as “deceptive and unfair.” #

NEWS RELEASE
July 5, 2013

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