Tiniyak ng Department of Education (DepEd) nitong Sabado na handang-handa na sila sa halalan sa bansa sa Lunes, Mayo 9, kasabay nang pagsasagawa ng pormal send off sa mahigit 640,000 na personnel nila na magsisilbi bilang poll workers.
Sa isang kalatas nitong Sabado, sinabi ng DepEd na bilang bahagi ng commitment ng ahensiya sa malaya, malinis, ligtas, at patas na eleksyon, pormal na nilang itinalaga ang mga teaching at non-teaching personnel na naninilbihan bilang poll workers sa eleksyon.
Ayon kay DepEd Election Task Force (ETF) Head at Director IV for Procurement Management Service Atty. Marcelo Bragado, nasa 647,812 teaching at non-teaching personnel ang itinalaga nila upang tumulong sa Commission on Elections (Comelec) para sa 2022 National and Local Elections.
“On behalf of the Department of Education and Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones, we respectfully turnover the following resources and personnel to the Commission on Elections this coming May 9, 2022. We are turning over 37,219 public schools nationwide to be used as polling centers,” ani Atty. Bragado na kumatawan kay DepEd Undersecretary at ETF Chair Alain Del B. Pascua.
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“We are also turning over 106,439 classrooms to be used as clustered precincts and the same number of classrooms to be used as isolation polling places on Monday,” dagdag niya.
Nabatid na mula sa bilang ng DepEd personnel na inilaan ng ahensya, 319,317 ang miyembro ng Electoral Boards, 200,627 ang EB Support Staff, 38,989 ang DepEd Supervisor Officials, 87,162 ang DESO Support Staff, at 1,717 ang miyembro ng Board of Canvassers.
Binanggit ni DepEd ETF Co-Chair at Undersecretary for Field Operations Atty. Revsee Escobedo na proaktibong itinataguyod ng Kagawaran ang patas na benepisyo para sa poll workers na binubuo halos ng mga guro mula sa mga pampublikong paaralan.
“Amidst the pandemic, as early as February 2021, Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones has submitted several proposals to the COMELEC that are all geared towards the improvement of the honoraria, benefits, and allowances as well as the protection, safety, and insurance of all DepEd poll workers,” ani Escobedo.
Binigyang-diin din ni Escobedo, na pinagbigyan ng Comelec ang mga kahilingan ng DepEd para sa darating na eleksyon, kabilang ang pagdaragdag ng honoraria para sa poll workers, ang pagkakaloob ng COVID-19 Hazard Pay na nagkakahalaga ng P500, at pagbibigay ng transportation allowance na P2,000.
Upang matiyak ang kaligtasan ng eleksiyon, sinuportahan din ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), at Philippine National Police (PNP) ang COMELEC. Kasama sa tulong na ibinigay ang 154,000 armed personnel mula AFP, 225,000 mula PNP, at 22,500 mula PCG.
Bukod pa rito, ipinahayag ni COMELEC Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan ang kanilang pasasalamat sa patuloy na suporta ng iba pang mga pambansang ahensiya para sa darating na eleksyon.
“Thank you to the officers and members of the Department of Education for your tireless diligence in the conduct of casting and canvassing of votes. We are grateful also to our uniformed personnel in the AFP, PNP, and PCG for your selfless service to keep the security and safety of the elections,” aniya.
