P3K allowance for teachers as aid to online teaching pushed

Public secondary teachers undergo webinar training on the utilization of the e-Learning platform by the Schools Division of Marikina on July 21. 2020, at the Jesus Dela Pena National High School in Marikina City in preparation for the blended learning approach by the Department of Education. The training program was initiated by the LGU Marikina and DeoEd Marikina. INQUIRER file photo / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker proposed the provision of a P3,000 monthly allowance for teachers to aid in their teaching as the country shifts to online learning amid the coronavirus pandemic.

During the hybrid hearing of the House committee on appropriations on DepEd’s budget proposal for 2021, Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado echoed the proposal of groups of teachers in his district for the provision of a monthly allowance amounting to P3,000 to ensure that teachers can deliver their lessons on the online platform.

Education Undersecretary Anne Sevilla welcomed the proposal if there is funding available.

“If it will be authorized and there is funding available, we would welcome it, of course, because we really want our teachers to be capable of doing the online learning,” Sevilla said.

“Right now, what we have is really just the computerization program and that is capital outlay, that is provision of equipment. But for allowances, we really do not have that yet,” she added.

Sevilla, however, said that a cash allowance is also provided for teachers to ensure that they can buy supplies they need in teaching.

“We have existing in this year’s and previous year’s budget what we call the cash allowance and the cash allowance of the teachers is actually the incentive given to all the teachers so that all supplies and needs that is required for them to do the teaching is chargeable to that fund,” Sevilla.

“We do not require them to liquidate it, we give it as an entitlement because that is what is provided in the law,” she added.

According to documents provided by the DBM, government offices in the education sector got the highest allocation at P754.4 billion which is higher than the P650.2 billion allocation for 2020.

This budget covers DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the state universities and colleges across the country.

Meanwhile, DepEd has the second highest budget allocation for next year among the different government agencies, just behind the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). / EDV