Some teachers and workers in the education sector are faced with a loan shark from “harassment” and “bullies” during the holidays, according to a group of teachers.
“We had a conversation with teachers who are worried about their ATM (Automated Teller Machine) payments being garnished by rogue loan companies,” said the National Chairman of the Teachers Dignity Coalition, Benjo G. Basas in Filipino in a video statement on Wednesday.
“We do not dismiss the case of our fellow teachers who were not careful or careful,” he added. “However, they should not be financially constrained or have all their ATM cash taken away for garnishment.”
Professional teachers often borrow money from private lending institutions (PLI) because of shortages caused by economic problems, said Mr Basas.
“This tendency to borrow is not caused by the interest of teachers or the desire to get loans, this is caused by a lack of money, this is due to the economic challenges that teachers face every day,” he said.
In a statement to the Department of Education (DepEd), TDC noted that teachers who are struggling financially have been lured by private lending institutions (PLI) into loan agreements with “deceptive terms, excessive penalties, fees, and compound interest.”
“This appeal is addressed to teachers and DepEd employees who—after being victimized, harassed and financially fined—are now facing yet another terrible blow: not being able to provide for and celebrate the holiday season with their families,” the group said.
“When borrowers inevitably fall behind, these institutions resort to legal methods designed to obtain court orders to garnish, deprive teachers of their salaries and leave them financially helpless,” it added.
The group also expressed concern over reports of some staff from the Schools Division Offices (SDO) who directly and indirectly accepted the said PLIs putting teachers at financial risk.
“This appeal is for teachers and DepEd employees who—after being abused, harassed, and financially punished—now face yet another devastating blow: not being able to feed and celebrate the holiday season with their families,” it added.
In line with the issue raised by this group, TDC urged that the year-end incentives for teachers be given in cash or check if requested.
“Accepting this request will help them to avoid a very difficult and stressful situation – so difficult that some have felt compelled to personally go to Malacañang to seek the President’s mercy,” said the newspaper.
On December 20, the Department of Education announced that it will begin releasing year-end bonuses to an estimated one million eligible DepEd employees nationwide.
Teachers and non-teaching staff are set to receive a P20,000 Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) and a P5,000 Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI).
Meanwhile, non-teaching staff will receive an additional P10,000 in Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) benefits, and contract and work order workers may receive a salary of up to P7,000, depending on their length of service.— Almira Louise Martinez
