MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Sonny Angara has welcomed the decision of the Commission on Elections to remove the expiration period for service credits earned by public school teachers from election-related duties.
Under Comelec Resolution 11212-A, teachers may now claim and utilize their earned service credits at any time following their poll duties, repealing the previous rule that required credits to be availed of within three months.
Angara commended the poll body for responding immediately to the concerns raised by teachers rearding the need for flexible leave entitlements.
“This is a significant relief for our teachers. Serving during elections is no easy task—they endure long hours without sleep, exhaustion, and sometimes even danger, simply to protect the vote of every Filipino," Angara said in a statement on Wednesday.
Around 600,000 public school teachers serve as electoral board members and supporte personnel in every election.
The new guidelines cover services rendered in National and Local Elections (NLE), Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE), as well as special elections, plebiscites, initiatives, referenda, and recall elections
