JUST COMPENSATION FOR TEACHERS’ POLL WORK

SO, WILL the Commission on Elections (Comelec) approve an acrossthe-board P3,000 additional compensation for teachers’ poll work duty that extended beyond 24 hours on election day?

Granting overtime pay to poll workers is just right. Comelec, after some fussing, indicated it may do so. Pero wala pa definite announcement asta subong. Teaches are waiting with bated breath.

Our Electoral Boards (EBs) have always borne the brunt of several machine malfunctions and other irregularities with the conduct of elections. Being at the frontlines of every election is never easy, but our teachers continue to voluntarily offer their services to facilitate the proper conduct of polls.

There are, however, so much that makes or breaks the integrity of the elections, most of which are beyond the control of our EBs. Nevertheless, teacher-poll workers deserve to be properly compensated for all their hard work.

We must honor our teachers, our election frontliners, by compensating them justly.