Despite COA disallowance
PUBLIC school teachers in Cebu City will be P10,000 richer today when they receive the annual financial assistance from City Hall.
“Rain or shine mo-release ta. Kadtong mga maestra nga bag-o ra sa service, full amount ang ilang madawat but those teachers who have received the COLA, mag-start na sa deduction (Rain or shine, we will push with the release [of the financial assistance]. Newly hired teachers will get the full amount but those who received the [2015] COLA will already start payment of their deductions),” said Councilor Joy Augustus Young, the chairman of the council’s education and scholarships committee.
Distribution of the cash aid, which is part of the city’s Teacher’s Cash Assistance Program, will be held at 4 p.m. at the Cebu City Sports Center.
However, Young said that teachers who received their share of the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) in 2015 will only be getting half of the city’s allocation.
The other half amounting to P5,000 will be retained by City Hall to serve as partial payment for their 2015 COLA which the Commission on Audit (COA) disallowed.
Young said two more deductions of the same amount will be made in 2018 and 2019 respectively while the balance of P3,000 will be deducted in their 2020 cash assistance.
Teachers who are already due for retirement next year will not be getting anything from the city.
Young said their P10,000 assistance will be paid for their disallowance of P18,000.
COA disallowed the teacher’s 2015 COLA since it is already incorporated in the basic pay of all government employees who are getting a regular pay.
Young said they are now preparing their appeal which they were expected to submit to COA in Friday afternoon.