DepEd warns of COLA "fixers"

Education Undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz has warned all employees of the Department of Education never to pay any fees to any organization claiming to process unpaid Cost of Living and Allowances or COLA.

Luz, in an advisory, said that DepEd's attention has already been called to a practice of a number of national teachers' organizations collecting fees for the processing of so-called unpaid COLA from previous years.

He said that Section 12 of Republic Act 6578 provides that all allowances including COLA, except for certain specified allowances, are deemed included in the standardized salary rates prescribed.

Since the standardized salaries already include the consolidated allowances, a separate grant for the "unpaid" COLA as claimed by certain groups will be considered double compensation and is prohibited by law.

"Should there be any teacher organization that persists in collecting fees for the 'processing of claims' for the so-called unpaid COLA, please report this immediately to the Office of the Undersecretary (Finance and Administration) or through DEtxt 09194560027 for Smart and 2327 for Globe. Indicate which organization is collecting fees and the division in which this is occurring," Luz advised. - Jasmin R. Uy