Lawmakers want probe on DepEd’s Results-Based Performance Management System

MANILA, Philippines – Lawmakers in the House of Representatives are seeking a probe into the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Results-Based Performance Management System (RPMS).

In a statement on Tuesday, August 14, ACT Teachers Representatives Antonio Tinio and France Castro called on the House to investigate the matter as they claimed the RPMS has resulted in the loss of benefits and rejection of decent salaries.

“We urge the House Leadership to hear the clamor of our teachers and non-teaching personnel to immediately conduct and inquiry regarding the Results-Based Performance Management System and their call for decent pay and humane working conditions,” Castro said.

Tinio added, “These systems for performance-related pay, such as the RPMS have only resulted in cutbacks on the benefits of personnel and continue to reject the demand for decent salaries.”

Castro said teachers are often burdened by the excessive paperwork of the RPMS, which takes away time from caring for themselves and their families. Sha added this affects the quality of their teaching, with employees dubbing the RPMS the “Regulasyong Pahirap kay Ma’am at Sir” (Regulations that burden us).

“On top of the regular tasks of checking of students’ quizzes, keeping master lists, creating lesson plans and instructional materials, teachers are heavily burdened by the reports they are required to submit under the RPMS, an assessment tool designed to squeeze state workers to perform beyond their capacities,” Castro added.

The RPMS is a system in the DepEd that is supposed to ensure employees work towards achieving the department’s policies and priorities. It is also done to manage, monitor, and measure performance to identify efforts for improvement. – Rappler.com