CEBU, Philippines - Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young challenged Department of Education Secretary Armin Luistro to resign from his post saying he is not doing well in his job, citing DepEd’s failure to pay kindergarten teachers in Cebu City on time.
Young said despite the unsolved problems of DepEd, Luistro insisted on implementing the K+12 Program that adds two more years before a student can graduate from elementary and high school.
Young said he believes Luistro is too busy implementing the K+12 Program and failed to monitor the other problems of his department, including the salaries of kindergarten teachers.
There are around 250 kindergarten teachers in various public elementary schools in Cebu City that are complaining because their salaries were delayed since February.
The vice mayor said the problem of the kindergarten teachers has been recurring ever since DepEd implemented the kindergarten program, but still Luistro insists on pursuing with the implementation of K+12.
The kinder teachers are always asking the help of Young who used to be head of the Cebu City School Board before Mayor Michael Rama stripped him of the position and entrusted it to Councilor Jose Daluz III.
To solve the problem, the local DepEd officials will just use their Monthly Operating and Other Expenses funds to pay the salaries of the teachers, but it can afford only to pay their salaries for one month.
“Gikan adtong Pebrero ang mga kinder teachers wala na masweldohi. Luoy na kaayo sila kay mao pay tag P6,000 ra ang sweldo nila sa usa ka buwan, dugay-dugayon pa, wala na gani magpautang nila,” Young said.
“Luistro should resign for implementing the K+12 because he knows that he is only fooling the people. He is lying when Luistro said kaya sa DepEd ang additional teachers ug classrooms and other needs for K+12,” the vice mayor said.
Young said he understands it was President Benigno Aquino III who ordered Luistro to implement the K+12 Program, but being the secretary of Education “he should tell the president the black and white of the whole thing. If they cannot even manage DepEd properly they have no business in implementing K+12.”
According to Young he talked with several DepEd officials and even they are not totally convinced by the K+12 Program, but they cannot say that to their bosses.
Meanwhile, DepEd-Cebu City Division appealed to local officials to urge the Department of Budget and Management for the speedy release of the national government appropriation for the salary of the teachers.
“There is no appropriation yet from the national office. The DBM is supposed to release that,” DepEd-Cebu City Division Superintendent Dr. Rhea Mar Angtud said.
“Maybe our local officials can help us urge the DBM to release the budget soon,” she added.
Angtud said that as much as they want to give the teachers their salary, they cannot do anything but to wait until the source of the budget releases it.
The kindergarten teachers receive about P6,000 per month for two classes and P3,000 for one class.
Angtud said that it is not the first time that their salaries were delayed because of the procedure their salaries have to go through.
One factor that could have contributed to the delay is the lack of necessary requirements of documents. Teachers are required to submit their daily time records and contract, among others. (FREEMAN)