Catholic schools appeal: Cash aid for our employees, too

MANILA, Philippines — Catholic schools in Metro Manila are appealing to the government to include in its cash aid program their employees who have been financially affected by shrinking student enrollment due to quarantine restrictions imposed to halt the spread of the new coronavirus in the Philippines.

In a June 20 letter to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, head of the Senate basic education committee, the Metro Manila chapter of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) requested that Catholic school employees be counted among beneficiaries of the second wave of the government’s Social Amelioration Program.

Depleted savings

The group said falling student enrollment due to the prohibition of in-person classes during school year 2020-2021 had affected the finances of Catholic school employees.

Student enrollment is going on for classes that are scheduled to start on Aug. 24. But the Department of Education is allowing only remote learning, limiting in-person classes to schools without the capacity to conduct online education.

“As you know, our school operations are totally dependent on the tuition and fees of our students,” Ceap said in its letter to Gatchalian. “Our meager savings are fast depleting and in no time could no longer sustain the needs of our personnel.”

Ceap groups more than 1,500 private Catholic schools nationwide. In Metro Manila, it has 171 members with more than 30,000 employees.

—Tina G. Santos