‘Don’t let Muslim teachers refund P15,000 honoraria’

AN OFFICIAL of the Department of Education in Mandaue City (DepEd Mandaue) appealed to the Commission on Audit to reconsider its decision ordering seven Muslim teachers to refund their P15,000 honoraria paid to them for handling Madrassah classes for three months.

Benjamin Tiongson, administrative officer of DepEd Mandaue, said that although these teachers were unqualified for the teaching position after failing the Arabic Qualifying Exams, they underwent a 23-day training in the Language Enhancement and Pedagogy (LEAP) program.

Tiongson said that these Azatidz or Muslim teachers, who handled Madrassah classes in Mandaue, had already rendered service to their students for three months.

“It is in good faith with good intention to provide the Muslim students their right for a basic education,” he said.

He said DepEd Mandaue hired them after they trained in the LEAP program to fill the lack of qualified Arabic teachers.

Nine teachers took the qualifying Arabic exams and only two passed.

Tiongson said the hiring of the teachers was an honest mistake. He was referring to the DepEd order to stop all classes manned by non-passers issued on Oct. 11, 2010.

He said the school division superintendeent, Virginia Zapanta, only found out about it three months later.

The teachers who were asked to refund their three-month salary are Armellah Amerol, Rose Lynie Lacsaman, Jamil Palawan, Normalah BAguan, Amerah Hadjijalil, Khalel Lacsaman and Ali Rashid. They were hired in school year 2010 to 2011 and taught from January to March 2011./Correspondent Jucell Marie Cuyos