By: Margaret Padilla
Despite the P1 billion allocated by the Department of Education for the nationwide expansion of in-person learning, in addition to regular funds for maintenance and other operating expenses, public school teachers have provided free labor to improve their classrooms and paid for the costs to ensure that the school facilities are ready to welcome returning students.
According to Annalyn Sevilla, DepEd Undersecretary for Finance, in a Tuesday press briefing, certain items, such as supplies, are eligible for reimbursement under the department’s budget and accounting rules and regulations.
However, a teachers group declared that they received reports from teachers who got loans and sought funds from private sponsors to buy materials for the refurbishment of their classrooms for the face-to-face classes.
“That is our teachers’ problem,” the Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC), stated in an interview with Phil. Daily Inquirer.
These expenses were not reimbursed, a public high school teacher said to Rapid News.
She explained further that there are limitations when it comes to spending the budget that Deped provided. Most of the time, she said, either the expenses they incurred cannot be taken from the budget or there is a specified expenditure when it is released.
“Madami talagang kailangan for preparation ng face-to-face (classes) kaya kung minsan (kung) may nais ka, ikaw na lang (na teacher) ang gagawa ng paraan, tulad ng gamit sa rooms. Kung need mo halimbawa ng cabinets o dispenser o electric fan, instead na maghintay ka ng replacement o mabudgetan, ikaw (na teacher) na ang hahanap ng pwede mag donate o ikaw na mismo ang magdonate. Yung iba din nagdadala na from their respective homes,” the high school teacher said.
Likewise, another teacher from a public elementary school confirmed this. “Totoo po, may mga teachers po na ganon. Ako nga po, nagpatahi pa ng kurtina para sa classroom namin para lang talaga maayos ang room. Yan na ang ginagawa ko sa aking 26 years in service. Okay lang sa akin ang gumastos kasi ang lagi kong iniisip ay para po sa mga pupils ko itong ginagawa ko. At masaya naman po ako sa ginagawa ko.”
She claimed that because some teachers are too embarrassed to ask for PTA (Parents-Teachers Association) help, they end up footing the bill for beautifying and cleaning their classrooms.
“Ang sinasabi po lagi ay magpatulong raw sa HRPTA, pero kaunti lang talaga ang maaaring tumulong, kaya minsan sa hiya, sinosolo na lang ni teacher kasi ang laging nasa puso nila ay “para sa estudyante nila,” she added. “Siguro iyong mga nag loan ay mga baguhang teacher pa lang na sa kagustuhan na maging handa ang kanilang mga classroom para sa kanilang mga estudyante ay ginagawa po nila yon.”
Another teachers’ organization, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) discovered during school visits in Tarlac that teachers covered their expenses in preparations for in-person classes, despite the budget for school reopening.
“Our teachers are eager for in-person learning to resume. However, it is not fair to expect them to bear the burden of physically preparing the schools on top of their already meager salaries,” ACT said.
Meanwhile, DepEd acknowledged the teachers’ concerns and instructed them to approach their school principals to discuss the existing policies and to seek reimbursement.
“We appreciate our teachers’ creativity and resourcefulness, but we don’t want them to be abused as well,” Sevilla explained. “We confirm that there are teachers who go above and beyond their regular duties to beautify, enhance, and add more things to their classrooms.”
According to the DepEd, as of April 5, 17,254 public and private schools had started face-to-face classes. This figure represents 30 percent of all public schools in the country.