The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Monday, May 24, that its teachers and school heads would now get higher Special Hardship Allowance (SHA).

In a statement sent to media, DepEd said its agency and the Department of Budget Management (DBM) issued Joint Circular No. 1 s. 2021, amending the National Budget Circular 514, s. 2007, which grants higher SHA to eligible teachers and school heads.

“The DepEd and the DBM have new issuance because we’re now doing the hazard index. This means, teachers do not need to submit documents to claim the Special Hardship Allowance because DBM and DepEd agreed to issue new criteria for our [Special] Hardship Allowance,” said Education Undersecretary Anne Sevilla in a mix of English and Filipino.

The DepEd said that SHA is now fixed at 25% of the monthly basic salary from the previous 15-25%. SHA is given given monthly to teachers and school heads or administrators in public elementary and secondary schools who are exposed to “extreme difficulties and hazards” in carrying out their tasks.

Under the new guidelines, eligible teachers and personnel are only required to submit their DTR (daily time record) as supporting document to avail of the said allowance.

The agency added that SHA can also be “availed by teachers in pure multigrade schools, mobile teachers, and non-formal education or Alternative Learning System (ALS) coordinators.”‘

Philippine schools have stopped face-to-face classes for over a year now, forcing students and teachers to shift to distance learning. (READ: FAST FACTS: DepEd’s distance learning) – Rappler.com