The Department of Education appealed to Commission on Elections for an increase in pay and benefits for teaching and non-teaching personnel who will serve as poll workers in the upcoming 2022 national elections.
The DepEd released a statement on Thursday stating that Education Secretary Leonor Briones submitted a request letter to Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas which emphasized the higher risk poll workers will encounter due to the pandemic.
The DepEd requested the following compensations:
- PHP 9,000 compensation for the chairperson of electoral boards
- PHP 8,000 for members of the board
- PHP 7,000 for supervisors
- PHP 5,000 for members of the support staff.
It also pushed for an honorarium for selected members of the Comelec-DepEd monitoring and coordination teams under the DepEd election task force.
Under the proposal, authorized poll workers stand to receive a COVID-19 hazard pay of ₱500 per day. This is on top of the benefits provided under the Election Service Reform Act.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the commission is open to coordinating with the DepEd to address the teacher’s needs and concerns.
“The Comelec is willing to work with the DepEd in order to find ways to either accommodate their requests or, in the appropriate instances, to help them achieve the results they seek,” he said.
