Teachers displaced by K to 12 urged to seek assistance

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday urged teaching and non-teaching personnel in private higher education institutions (HEIs) displaced by the K-12 program to avail themselves of assistance from the agency.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said they would provide financial, employment or livelihood assistance to college teachers and non-teaching staff affected by the senior high school under the DOLE’s Adjustment Measures Program.

The K-12 program, which adds two more years to the country’s secondary education, displaced an estimated 13,000 college teachers and over 11,000 non-teaching personnel, according to the Commission on Higher Education.

Labor Undersecretary Nicon Fameronag instructed the DOLE regional offices to determine the actual number of teachers affected by K-12.

The collated reports will be submitted to Education Secretary Armin Luistro next week.

Fameronag said the government has earmarked at least P500 million for the program under the General Appropriations Act of 2016.

According to Baldoz, qualified beneficiaries will receive financial support of P7,000 to P25,000.

Permanent HEI personnel will receive the assistance for six months while non-permanent staff will receive the cash grant for three months.

“The financial assistance will be released every end of the month,” Baldoz said.

The employment assistance package involves profiling of displaced HEI personnel, matching and job referrals.