Teachers protest over full on-site reporting order

Written by Rachelle Samin

Published April 30, 2022

MANILA, Philippines – Public school teachers led by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) urged Department of Education (DepEd) officials to suspend the agency’s Memorandum 29 implemented on April 18 which mandates all DepEd offices, schools, and community learning centers to report 100% on-site.

In a press release on April 19, ACT highlighted the “counterproductive effects” of the full on-site reporting as most schools still employed remote learning.

Upon implementation of the full on-site reporting order in Metro Manila, ACT National Capital Region (ACT-NCR) Union leaders went to the DepEd office but failed to seek a dialogue with the regional director.

“Its refusal to heed the requests for even just a dialogue with duly recognized and accredited teachers’ unions may constitute a breach in labor rights,” ACT Philippines Secretary General Raymond Basilio said. “They are effectively gagging teachers from their right to express their grievances and negotiate work arrangements by denying us a proper venue to lay out issues we’ve gathered from the ground and collaborate on solutions.”

On March 7, ACT has already raised the concern to DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones on forcing teachers' 100% on-site reporting because 90% of schools are still under pure distance learning set-ups and with poor campus infrastructure.

However, DepEd still proceeded with the implementation of mandatory on-site reporting. Briones said the order was in compliance with Malacañang’s Memorandum Circular No. 96, which mandates 100% of employees in all government offices to physically report for work.

“Executive Order and nagre-require sa amin to adhere. Kaya hindi namin magawang flexible [ang work arrangement]. Kasi sa ngayon, 'pag wala kang time in at time out, 'di ka namin mapapasweldo,” Briones said.

(Executive Order requires us to adhere. This is why we can’t make the work arrangement flexible. Because right now, if you don't have time in and time out, we won't be able to pay you.)

ACT also called the attention of DepEd due to the “lack of democratic consultations” and for not taking action on the issues that the teachers raised even before the order came out.

“Hindi nauunawaan ng pamunuan ng DepEd ang kalagayan at pangangailangan ng mga guro at ng edukasyon sa kabuuan, kaya walang-pakundangan ito kung magpatupad ng mga polisiyang hindi lang bastang pahirap sa mga guro, kundi balakid pa sa pagpapahusay ng paghahatid ng serbisyong pang-edukasyon sa gitna ng krisis,” ACT-NCR Union President Vladimer Quetua said.

(DepEd fails to understand the situation and needs of the teachers and the education as a whole, so it is ungracious when implementing policies that are not only oppressive to teachers, but also an obstacle to the effective delivery of educational services amid the crisis.)

In the press release, ACT also mentioned the DepEd’s failure to prepare the internet connection of the schools. In 2020, the government allocated ₱700 million to acquire internet connections for 7,000 schools. However, teachers from the ground said that connectivity is still a major challenge in holding online classes at school.

“Nearly two years have passed since they announced this, but as per our survey among NCR teachers, 87.6% of them said they still don’t have a reliable internet connection at school. Where did the ₱700-million go? DepEd should report on this,” Quetua said.

Meanwhile, ACT Secretary-General Basilio has demanded an action from DepEd to respond to the teachers' calls.

“Has the DepEd even appealed to COA, IATF, other relevant agencies, and even to President Duterte himself for consideration, given the peculiarity of teachers' tasks and the situation of our schools?” Basilio asked.

“Aksyon ang kailangan namin mula sa DepEd — tugon sa mga daing at panawagan ng mga guro. Ito ang klase ng leadership na matagal na namang hinahanap, 'yong may decisiveness at kakayahang kumatawan sa interes ng mga guro at kawani sa edukasyon,” he added.

(We need action from DepEd — a response to teachers’ grievances and calls. This is the kind of leadership we have been looking for a long time, with decisiveness and the ability to represent the interests of teachers and staff in education.)