Volunteers replace 200 teachers in Talisay City

CEBU CITY—Jeralyn Vinculado was hired on June 10 by the Department of Education (DepEd) head office and assigned to teach in Grade 2 at Talisay City Central School.

But 15 days later, Vinculado received a verbal order from Talisay City Schools division superintendent Woodrow Denuyo that she had to leave her post immediately because they would be replaced by teacher aid volunteers.

Vinculado is among more than 100 teachers hired by the DepEd at the start of school year 2013-14, only to find that they have been replaced by the teacher aid volunteers hired by the Talisay local government.

“We were in the middle of our work and we were told to pull out. We asked them why it was happening, but nobody from the office dared to answer. They only told us to wait after two months,” said Vinculado.

But Vinculado felt that they were given the runaround.

“We are under category A with highest rank, we were given an item from the DepEd national [office] and we are being replaced without any explanation,” she pointed out.

Vinculado said that based on the letter of Denuyo given to one of the teacher aid volunteers, the latter was hired during the administration of then mayor and now Talisay City Councilor Socrates Fernandez when there was an election ban.

Thirty teachers representing about 200 teachers removed from their duties in public elementary and high schools in Talisay City had sought the help of Talisay City Mayor Johnny delos Reyes.

Delos Reyes was shocked upon learning that the city would be paying each of the 200 teacher aid volunteers about P8,000 per month.

“Imagine, we are going to pay these teachers when we really do not have to because the DepEd had hired very qualified teachers. They (previous administration) really wanted my administration and this city to be bankrupt,” Delos Reyes said.

Delos Reyes then referred the matter to city legal officer Alfredo Sipalay.