The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) criticized the Department of Education (DepEd) over the agency’s ‘deteriorating performance’ in processing and releasing the Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) of teachers and non-teaching personnel in public basic education.

Deped, in its Labor Day PBB update on its official Facebook page, still has not given a definite date when its employees can expect to receive the sorely delayed PBB for the year 2019. The process it has laid down is seen to take up to 1 to 3 months, or more, before the delayed benefit can be released to the employees.

“Pinakamalalang kapalpakan ito na aabutin na ng isa’t kalahating taon ay wala pa rin ang inaasahang PBB ng mga guro at kawani ng DepEd. Matindi ang epekto nito lalo ngayon na sobrang gipit na ang mga guro dahil sa napakalaking gastos sa distance learning,” said Raymond Basilio, ACT Secretary-General.

Basilio pointed out that the agency’s performance in the processing and release of PBB continue to worsen every year, and is deeply alarming as it already impacts negatively on teachers’ welfare.

PBB was initiated by the Aquino administration in 2013, to purportedly give incentives to outstanding performance of government employees and officials, based on their year-end performance evaluations. With the finalization of necessary guidelines and setting up of mechanisms, the PBB 2013 for DepEd was released on January 2015. The release of the benefit among DepEd employees slightly improved in the next two years-- PBB 2014 was released on September to October 2015, while PBB 2015 was released on December 2016. However, the succeeding years under the Duterte administration saw the worsening delays in the release of the benefit. PBB 2016 for DepEd employees was released on March 2018, PBB 2017 on February 2019, PBB 2018 was received on April 2020, while the much-awaited PBB 2019 has yet to be released. Records show that the delays are due mainly to DepEd’s failure to meet the standards and comply with documentary requirements.

“Hindi p’wedeng paghintayin na lamang forever ang mga guro at kawani. Dapat magpaliwanag ang DepEd kung bakit ganito na lamang palagi ang estado ng PBB, lalo na mula nang umupo ang kasalukuyang administrasyon. Dapat umako sila ng responsibilidad sa kabagalan at kapalpakan dito dahil mgaguro at kawani ang nagdurusa,” lambasted Basilio.

The PBB 2019 is supposed to incentivize eligible performance with 65% of the employees’ monthly salary, which is equivalent to P13,490 for the Teacher 1 position, up to P16,400 for Teacher 3.

“Matagal nang inaasahan ng mga guro ang PBB 2019, katunanyan ay naipangutang na nila ito dahil hanggang ngayon, walang ibinibigay ang gobyerno na internet allowance, palpak ang implementasyon ng communication expenses reimbursement, at wala pa rin ang pangakong dagdag sweldo ni Pangulong Duterte,” lamented Basilio.

Basilio called on the Duterte administration to ‘end the sufferings of public school teachers who have long endured grave neglect and inhumane treatment from the government.’

“Kailan pa haharapin ng gobyernong ito ang daing ng ating kaguruan? Kapag iniwan na nila ang propesyon o namamatay na sila bigat ng trabaho at liit ng kompensasyon? Huwag sanang hintayin ng gobyerno na mahuli ang lahat dahil mahal ang pagbabayaran ng bansang nagpapabaya sa mga guro at edukasyon,” concluded Basilio.