12K cash cards to be distributed to teachers

(CDN PHOTO/VICTOR ANTHONY V. SILVA)

MORE than 12,000 cash cards from the Landbank of the Philippines are ready for distribution to election inspectors in the province, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.

Acting Cebu provincial election supervisor Eliseo Labaria said 12,198 ATM cards to be distributed to teachers who served as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) in this year’s elections were delivered to his office on May 8.

The cash cards will contain the teachers’ honoraria for their duties last May 9.
“We are ready for distribution. We are just waiting for their enrolment forms before we can release the cards to local election officers,” Labaria told reporters on Thursday.

One BEI, composed of a chairman and two members, serves each of the 4,066 clustered polling precincts in the province. Without an accomplished form, the provincial Comelec office will not release the cards to the election officers.

“Once they complete the requirements, we will release them. It will then be up to the election officers when they will relase it,” Labaria said.

Upon receiving their cash cards, teachers may withdraw their honoraria from Landbank ATMs.

Under Comelec Resolution No. 10031, the chair and members of the BEIs shall receive a per diem of P1,000 for three days plus additional P500 each for the verification and sealing of the Book of Voters, final testing and sealing of vote counting machines, and transportation allowance for a total per diem of P4,500.

Toward the end of January this year, the commission approved a P2,000 increase in the teachers’ honoraria, bringing their total compensation for poll duties to P6,500.