DepEd urged to enforce loan payment moratorium for ‘Yolanda’-hit teachers

Young survivors of “Yolanda,” who are families of DepEd teachers and employees. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – A lawmaker on Friday urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to implement a moratorium on loan payments for teachers in areas devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan).

ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio said teachers were complaining that their monthly loan payments to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Pag-Ibig were still being deducted from their salaries amid a six-month moratorium prescribed under Malacañang’s Memorandum Circular No. 59.

“Teachers of the Tacloban City Division and Leyte Division have brought it to my attention that the 6-month moratorium of government financial institutions on loan payments for their members in areas worst-hit by Typhoon Yolanda…has not been implemented for their November and December salaries,” wrote Tinio in a letter addressed to Education Secretary Armin Luistro.

The congressman said the moratorium would “provide urgently-needed relief to thousands of Deped teachers and employees in the calamity-stricken areas.”

Tinio said he hoped the agency would soon be able to implement the moratorium although it would probably require “additional administrative work” and “technical constraints.”

Memorandum Circular No. 59, approved on November 26, directs government financial institutions to grant moratorium on loan payments and the extension of interest-free loans to people and groups affected by “Yolanda.”

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