DepEd, DBM grant high special hardship allowance for teachers, school heads

Education Secretary Leonor Briones. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — Teachers and school heads would now get a higher special hardship allowance (SHA), the Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Monday.

Education Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said in a press briefing in Bicol that the DepEd and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) have issued Joint Circular No. 1 Series of 2021, amending the National Budget Circular 514 Series of 2007, which grants higher SHA to eligible personnel.

According to Sevilla, the joint circular increased the amount of SHA from the previous 15 to 25 percent of the monthly basic salary of qualified personnel.

The SHA is given monthly to teachers in elementary and secondary schools and school heads or administrators exposed to extreme difficulties and hazards, such as difficulty in commuting to the place of work.

SHA can also be availed by teachers in pure multigrade schools, mobile teachers, and non-formal education or Alternative Learning System coordinators.

Meanwhile, the requirements for availing of the allowance have also been reduced following the issuance of the circular.

Under the new guidelines, qualified teachers will only have to submit their daily time record to avail of the SHA, according to Sevilla.

For her part, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said DepEd “continues to honor our personnel, especially those who are in remote areas by addressing their concerns and providing their necessities according to their hard work.”

“We proposed to lessen their burden by not asking for too many requirements to claim this allowance,” she said.

“In these trying times, we salute the passion of our teachers who continuously deliver education to their learners, wherever they are. In this regard, as our Filipino educators commit to their duty, we are dedicated to prioritizing their protection against any potential harm,” Briones added.

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