Cebu provisional teachers file complaints over delayed salaries

CEBU, Philippines – Provisional teachers in Cebu City filed complaints Friday, December 23, with the Department of Education Central Visayas (DepEd-7) Regional Office after they failed to receive their salaries and incentives in time for the Christmas season.

According to Jabes Quibido, one of the teachers that filed a complaint, at least 30 provisional teachers from Cebu City’s public schools have not been paid their wages and bonuses since November.

“We’re worried because some of us might not have any money to pay for handa (noche buena) for Christmas,” Quibido told Rappler.

Quibido said that provisional teachers are not like regularized employees. They are instead, “appointees” hired by DepEd to teach even without completing the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT).

DepEd started hiring non-LEPT graduates in 2016, when K-12 was first implemented, to teach specialized subjects for senior high school.

In the complaint, the teachers stated that this was not the first time that the release of their salaries was delayed. “This has been a recurring problem for years with some delays lasting two months,” Quibido said.

The teachers added that they have already tried reaching out to the Cebu City Schools Division Superintendent’s Office, accounting department, and DepEd Cebu City cash section.

DepEd-7 Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez told Rappler in an interview that an advice to the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has already been made to expedite the processing of the teachers’ salaries.

“Provisional can be possibly longer than the regular because there will be a separate processing,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez assured the teachers that he will be personally following up on the matter with the concerned offices.

Rappler has tried reaching out to Cebu Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Rhea Mar Angtud but has yet to receive any reply.

In an update on Wednesday, December 28, the teachers said they had already received their salaries and incentives on the evening of December 23.

The provisional teachers thanked Jimenez for ensuring the processing of payrolls. – Rappler.com