DepEd Releases P977 Million Allowance For Teachers In Hardship Posts Under Pres. Duterte

Education Secretary Leonor Briones Wednesday, January 18, announced the release of the remaining special hardship allowance (SHA) for fiscal year 2016 to thousands of teachers assigned to multigrade classes, mobile teachers, and Alternative Learning System (ALS) coordinators.

Sec. Briones approved the issuance of Sub-Allotment to Regions/Operating Units (Sub-ARO) for the downloading of additional SHA fund to cover the deficiencies in the initial release for FY 2016 to the Regional Offices of the Department of Education (DepEd).

DepEd said that the funds cover 14,896 schools for teachers assigned in hardship posts and multigrade classes and 2,395 school districts and community learning centers (CLCs) for mobile and ALS teachers.

The DepEd requested the SHA amounting to P977,405,080 from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on November 8, 2016, to cover the deficiency in compensation to teachers exposed to hardship or difficulty in the place of work. The amounts were computed based on guidelines in the DBM National Budget Circular No. 514, series of 2007.

Last December 29, the DBM issued and released a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for the requested amount for payment of the additional SHA.

The regions set to receive the SHA for multigrade, mobile, and ALS teachers are Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A, 4-B, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), and National Capital Region (NCR).

Sec. Briones said that DepEd is working with DBM to review and update the SHA guidelines to be “more responsive to the current needs of teachers assigned in hardship posts, which will be for implementation in FY 2017.”

The special hardship allowance is granted to qualified teachers who are assigned to a hardship post; performing multi-grade teaching; carrying out mobile teaching functions; or performing functions of non-formal education or ALS coordinators.

“The qualified teachers may either be resident or transient having regular or temporary appointment,” DepEd said.

Teachers who are set to receive the SHA are those in “hardship post” or those assigned in public schools or community learning centers located in areas characterized by “extraordinarily hard, uncomfortable and extreme difficulties.”

Under the DepEd guidelines, the SHA is given to teachers and school heads/administrators assigned to hardship posts, provided the total SHA shall not exceed 25 percent of their annual basic salary.

Source: Manila Bulletin