125 teachers still to claim Comelec cash cards

AT LEAST 125 teachers in Cebu are yet to claim their allowances for the services they rendered during the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections last May 14.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said each of the teacher who served in the last election received honorarium via cash cards that can be cashed in ATMs.

However, there are teachers in Cebu who have yet to collect their cash cards since they have to attend pre-school opening seminars required by the Department of Education (DepEd).

There were 24,949 teachers in Cebu, including highly urbanized cities in Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, who served as chairpersons and members of electoral boards in various polling precincts last May 14. Of the number, about 24,824 teachers or 99.6 percent have received their honoraria, said Castillano,

Republic Act No. 10756 or the Election Service Reform Act provided that the chairperson of Electoral Boards would get P6,000 and the members, P5.000 each.

The DepEd supervising official would receive P4,000 and the election office’s support staff would get P2,000 each.

Each of them was also entitled to a P1,000 travel allowance.

Aside from some teachers attending seminars, there were also teachers who served as coaches of the athletes participating the Philippine National Games (PNG), while others were still on a vacation, said Castillano.

He said the Comelec in Manila has given them 15 days after the election or until May 29 to distribute the honorarium.