Comelec signs pact for teachers’ training for 2019 polls

The Commission on Elections signed on Tuesday a memorandum of agreement to train and assist public school teachers who will serve in the midterm elections on May 13, 2019. (Photo by FAYE ORELLANA / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) signed on Tuesday a memorandum of agreement to train and assist public school teachers who will serve in the midterm elections on May 13, 2019.

The agreement provides for cooperation among Comelec, the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the training of teachers who will go on poll duty.

The DOST, specifically, will train some of the teachers in the technology to be used in the elections, providing them “reasonable honoraria, travel allowance, as well as accommodation” while under training.

Signing the agreement were Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas, Education Undersecretary Alain del Pascua, and Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña.

According to Del Pascua, 262,500 teachers will be needed to assist the polls.

Abas said that the signing of the agreement marked the start of the training of the teachers.

According to Abas, the Department of Budget and Management (BDM) had already allowed them get 25 percent of the first quarter budget of the Comelec.

He said Congress had already committed itself to pass the 2019 national budget after the first quarter.

“So safe na po tayo sa ibabayad,” Abas said. “Now kung wala pa rin, mayroon naman kaming savings. Pwede naming hugutin para pambayad sa ating mga teachers.”

[So we’re safe as far as paying is concerned. Now if it turns out don’t have that, we still have our savings. We can get that to pay our teachers.]

The contingency fund amounts to P4 billion, he said. /atm