MANILA, Philippines - The group of leaders heading the Department of Education (DepEd) said that it had recorded a first when it successfully completed the distribution of the productivity enhancement incentives (PEI), popularly referred to as the Christmas bonus, before the end of the year 2010. Benjo Basas, national chairperson of the Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC), recognized the achievement of the DepEd when it had issued the PEI to all DepEd workers, including public school teachers in the field, by the last day of work for 2010 last Dec. 30. “We are thankful that DepEd had exerted all efforts for the speedy release of the PEI,” Basas told the STAR. He said that the achievement spared teachers a bleak Yuletide season as in previous years when DepEd has always failed to release the Christmas bonus before the long Christmas, or the New Year’s break. Education Secretary Armin Luistro credited their success to the collaborative efforts of the DepEd regional and division offices, whose hardwork allowed the more than 500,000 education personnel across the country to receive their P10,000 Christmas bonus not later than Dec. 30.