By Ma. Teresa Montemayor with reports from Paula Dy, OJT/ PNA
MANILA — The Department of Education’s (DepEd) Election Task Force will receive additional funds for the upcoming May mid-term elections, an official said on Wednesday.
“May additional PHP50 million na pahabol dahil magkakaroon po ng eleksiyon this 2019 (There is an additional PHP50 million because there will be an election this 2019),” Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla said in a press briefing.
Sevilla said DepEd employees who serve as board of canvassers during the elections will receive honoraria or payment of the service which comes from Comelec’s budget.
She said DepEd does not get financial support for the cleaning and maintenance of schools which are used as polling precincts.
“Hindi po kami nabibigyan ng additional funding sa election task force na ginagawa namin kung saan ang mga regional directors, superintendents, ang mga hindi naman guro ay nagbabantay dahil ang ating mga eskwelahan ay ginagamit kapag eleksiyon (We’re not given additional funding for the election task force we’re doing where regional directors, superintendents, non-teachers are on guard because our schools are used during the elections),” she added.
Sevilla said the PHP50 million fund will also be used to provide security to all DepEd personnel during elections, noting it is a new budget item given to DepEd after the national budget deliberation.
