Gatchalian to DepEd: Protect teachers

FOLLOWING the deaths of five Department of Education (DepEd) personnel in Isabela and the continued spike of Covid-19 cases in the country, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday urged the government to uphold the welfare of teachers.

Gatchalian, also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture, stressed that upholding the welfare of teachers entails the strict enforcement of the alternative work arrangement, access to Covid-19 testing, treatment for those who would contract the virus and the prioritization of teachers in the vaccination program.

The School Division Office in Isabela earlier said it reached out to the grieving families to provide assistance and facilitate the expeditious release of benefits.

Teachers’ groups have been urging the Education department to extend financial assistance to personnel who get sick with Covid-19, claiming that teachers who got infected did not receive financial assistance from the government.

“Habang patuloy ang pagtaas ng mga kaso ng Covid-19 sa bansa, lalong dapat paigtingin ng DepEd ang pag-aalaga sa ating mga gurong isinasakripisyo ang kanilang kaligtasan at kalusugan upang maipagpatuloy ng ating mga kabataan ang kanilang pagaaral. Kailangang tiyakin sa ating mga guro na may agarang tulong na maipapaabot sa kanila kung sakaling sila ay magkasakit (With the continued spike of Covid-19 cases, the DepEd should further intensify its care and protection for our teachers who sacrifice their own safety to continue the studies of our youth. We need to assure our teachers that immediate help will be extended to them in the event they will get sick),” Gatchalian said.

The lawmaker added that teachers should be moved up the vaccination priority list. Teachers are in the B1 category along with other social workers. Teachers should be on the A4 priority list with the frontline personnel of other essential sectors, he said.