The money will be given to both “permanent and provisional teachers, including Alternative Learning System mobile teachers and district ALS coordinators, in all public elementary, junior and senior high schools, and community learning centers, who are in service in DepEd for the current school year, and assigned with at least one teaching load.”
Education Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said: “The [allowance] shall cover the expenses of teachers for the purchase of teaching supplies and materials … for the implementation or conduct of various modes of learning delivery.” In reality, he said, teachers like him need to buy a gadget and at least a pocket Wi-Fi for data connection that would cost them a minimum of P500 a month.Bacabac said teachers needed to have at least two connections to ensure that online teaching would not be disrupted, given the slow internet service in the country.With the dry run for class opening set on Monday, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers of the Philippines expressed concern over the country’s readiness to resume classes.
Despite the release of the allowances, Sevilla said there was still no basis for the DepEd to provide teachers with internet or load allowance, expenses that the agency itself had described as “necessary.”