Gatchalian seeks prompt aid for displaced teachers, non-teaching staff with enactment of Bayanihan 2

Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking the immediate and smooth distribution of aid for displaced teaching and non-teaching personnel now that the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act (Bayanihan 2) is signed into law.

On September 10, the Department of Education (DepEd) reported that 748 out of 14,435 private schools nationwide are not operating for the school year (SY) 2020-2021 which affects 3,233 teachers and 40,345 learners. Only two million (2,050,797) learners have enrolled in private schools for SY 2020-2021, an equivalent of 47.63 percent compared to the 4,304,676 learners enrolled in SY 2019-2020.

On September 12, the number of private basic education institutions suspending operations rose to 846. DepEd officials have yet to quantify how many additional teachers and learners are affected.

Bayanihan 2 allocates P300 million to provide one-time cash assistance to displaced teaching and non-teaching personnel in private and public elementary, secondary, and tertiary educational institutions. The provision covers part-time faculty and non-permanent teaching personnel. Part-time faculty in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) who have lost their jobs and have not received their salaries are also covered.

The lawmaker urged DepEd to build a database for the smooth distribution of aid. To do this, DepEd needs to proactively seek out displaced teachers, personnel, and students and coordinate with school associations. According to Gatchalian, teachers and non-teaching staff should be spared from the glitches of implementing the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), noting that teachers and non-teaching staff have long waited to receive financial support amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aside from the one-time financial cash assistance to affected teaching and non-teaching personnel, P600 million is allotted to subsidies and allowances for qualified students in public and private schools who were affected by lockdown measures and are not part of government educational subsidies and voucher programs. These subsidies, which will be released directly to schools, will be applied for unpaid tuition in SY 2019-2020 or the payment of tuition for SY 2020-2021.

Gatchalian added that building this database of displaced teachers and non-teaching staff would help DepEd target candidates for its teaching and non-teaching positions, including para-teachers and tutors for distance learning. According to the National Expenditure Program (NEP) 2021, 43,780 of the 976,520 authorized DepEd positions are yet to be filled.

"Ngayon at ganap nang batas ang Bayanihan 2, dapat siguruhin nating agarang maipapaabot sa ating mga guro at mga kawaning nawalan ng trabaho ang ayuda mula sa pamahalaan. Matagal naghintay ang mga guro at kawaning nawalan ng trabaho kaya dapat nating siguruhing hindi magkakaroon ng aberya ang pamamahagi ng tulong pinansya para sa kanila," said Gatchalian, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

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Gatchalian hinimok ang pagbibigay ng agarang tulong sa mga apektado ng class suspension

Nagpahayag ng pangamba si Senador Win Gatchalian kasunod ng dumadaming bilang ng mga paaralan na hindi muna magbubukas ngayong school year.

Noong Seytembre 10 ay iniulat ng Department of Education (DepEd) na mahigit pitong-daang (748) pribadong paaralan ang hindi muna magpapatuloy ng operasyon dahil sa naging pinsala ng COVID-19 pandemic. Apektado dito ang mahigit tatlong libong (3,233) mga guro at mahigit apatnapung libong (40,345) mag-aaral.

Pagkalipas lamang ng dalawang araw, umakyat sa mahigit walong daan (846) agad ang bilang ng mga pribadong paaralang titigil muna ng operasyon.

Kaya ngayong isa nang ganap na batas ang Bayanihan to Recover As One Act o Bayanihan 2, isinusulong ng senador ang agarang pagmamahagi ng ayuda sa mga guro at non-teaching personnel na nawalan ng trabaho.

Batay sa datos ng DepEd nitong Setyembre 11, mahigit dalawang milyon (2,050,797) pa lamang ang nag-e-enroll sa mga pribadong paaralan, wala pa sa kalahati (47.63 porsyento) ng mahigit apat na milyong (4,304,676) mag-aaral sa pribadong sektor noong nakaraang SY 2019-2020.

Sa ilalim ng Bayanihan 2, may tatlong daang (300) milyong pisong nakalaan para sa one-time cash assistance na ipapamahagi sa mga apektadong guro at non-teaching personnel ng mga pribado at pampublikong paaralan sa lahat ng antas. Kabilang dito ang mga part-time faculty at non-permanent teaching personnel, pati na rin ang part-time faculty ng mga State Universities and Colleges o SUCs.

May anim na raang (600) milyong piso namang inilaan ang Bayanihan 2 para sa ayudang ipamamahagi sa mga mag-aaral na naapektuhan ng lockdown ngunit hindi nakatatanggap ng tulong pinansyal mula sa mga kasalukuyang programa ng pamahalaan.

Hinimok ni Gatchalian ang DepEd na magkaroon ng isang database upang maging maayos ang pamamahagi ng ayuda. Aniya, dapat makipagtulungan ang kagawaran sa mga school associations upang matukoy kung sinu-sino ang mga apektadong guro, kawani, pati mga mag-aaral. Ayon pa sa mambabatas, hindi dapat maranasan ng mga guro at kawani ng mga paaralan ang mga suliraning naranasan sa pagpapatupad ng Social Amelioration Program o SAP, lalo na't matagal na silang naghihintay ng ayuda.

Dagdag ni Gatchalian, ang pagkakaroon ng database ay makakatulong sa DepEd na punan ang kinakailangang bilang ng mga guro at kawani, kabilang ang mga tutors at para-teachers sa distance learning. Ayon sa tala ng National Expenditure Program 2021, mahigit apatnapu't tatlong libo (43,780) sa halos isang milyong (976,520) posisyon sa DepEd ang kailangan pang punan.

"Ngayon at ganap nang batas ang Bayanihan 2, dapat siguruhin nating agarang maipaabot sa ating mga guro at kawaning nawalan ng trabaho ang ayuda mula sa pamahalaan. Matagal naghintay ang mga guro at kawaning nawalan ng trabaho kaya dapat nating siguruhing hindi magkakaroon ng aberya ang pamamahagi ng tulong pinansya para sa kanila," ani Gatchalian na Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.