Due to K to 12: DOLE-7 vows to help displaced teachers

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment-7 has assured that it will assist teachers who lost their jobs due to the K to 12 implementation.

 “With the implementation of K to 12 this year, it is expected that there will be some Higher Education Institutions personnel who will be displaced since there are no longer enrollees for first year college,” said DOLE-7 director Exequiel Sarcauga.

For Region-7, the office expects at least 1,994 teachers who will be displaced, including 665 HEI personnel teaching full-time, 585 part-time teachers and 744 non-teaching personnel.

To date, DOLE has recorded six HEI displaced personnel coming from the Rogationist Seminary College-Cebu, Inc. in Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City.

DOLE said its three-dimensional support strategy would accommodate needed assistance of employees who do not or cannot transfer work to Senior High School by way of providing them financial support, employment facilitation and training and livelihood.

For financial support, DOLE said displaced workers holding non-permanent status will be given assistance for three months while permanent HEI personnel will be given support for six months.

Maria Nancy Abad, chief of DOLE-Technical Services and Support Division-Employment Workers’ Welfare, said the amount shall be based on the prevailing median salary of the HEI personnel per nature of his or her appointment per region, or his or her affected/lost salary, whichever is lower.

DOLE recently held a general membership meeting of the Labor Tripartite Council in Education where it introduced to stakeholders and its social partners the DOLE Adjustment Measures Program, the department’s contribution to Government’s Interagency Mitigation Measures in relation to the implementation of the K to 12 Program.

The DOLE-AMP, Sarcauga said, was formed pursuant to the DOLE-DepEd-TESDA-CHED Joint Guidelines on the implementation of the labor and management component of Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, or the K-12 Program.

With DOLE-AMP’s implementation, Sarcauga said it hopes that affected HEI personnel will be given support in their self or full-time employment.

“Those who can avail of our services will generally be all displaced HEI personnel, regardless of tenure and position,” Sarcauga said.

Sarcauga explained though that there are those who are not covered by the program, including government employees whose part-time teaching load is affected; permanent public HEI personnel whose part-time teaching load is affected; and substitute teachers or professors with a maximum tenure of 3 months are not covered by the program.

Abad said under the employment facilitation, DOLE will provide tools and venues for affected personnel’s re-employment.

She added that beneficiaries will be profiled and be given job referrals through the use of the Phil-JobNet, job search kiosks, industry career guides and occupational pamphlets.

Employment facilitation will likewise be done in partnership with Public Employment Service Offices, private employment agencies, DOLE-registered contractors and sub-contractors and other industry partners.

The Network of Career Guidance Counselors and Career Advocates will also take part in the provision of career guidance and employment coaching to affected workers. (FREEMAN)