Comelec okay of pay increase for poll workers welcomed
A party-list solon welcomed the partial increase in the honorarium of elections poll volunteers to P3,000.
However, ACT Teacher Rep. France Castro is appealing to the Senate to add more funds for the benefits of the election workers.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said there will be additional P3,000 honorarium pay for those who will be serving the election next year.
Castro underscored the need to increase the honorarium, travel and food allowances and hazard pay for election service volunteers in the 2022 national budget considering the long hours and added risks they would be taking in the upcoming national elections.
The Makabayan bloc filed House Resolution 2181 urging the Comelec to review the amounts of honorarium and allowances granted to public school teachers and other persons rendering election service pursuant to Section 4 of Republic Act 10756 or the Election Service Reform Act.
Included in that resolution is the proposal of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers for the increases in the ESRA benefits, namely honoraria of P10,000 for Chairpersons of Electoral Boards, P9,000 for Members of Electoral Boards, P8,000 for DepEd Supervisor Officials, and P7,000 for support staff as well as travel allowance of P3,000 to P5,000 and food allowance of P2,500.
The proposal included the payment for hazard pay as we are still in a pandemic, providing hazard pay for poll workers is only just.”
“In the earlier statements of the Comelec during the budget deliberation in the House of Representative, they said they could only provide a P2000 across the board increase in honoraria and 10-days service credits for election service volunteers for teachers,”Castro said.
“Their statement yesterday saying they can provide a P3,000 increase in honoraria is a very welcome development. We now urge Congress, especially in the Senate where the proposed budget is now being tackled, to further increase the honoraria of election service volunteers to the proposal of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers and also include the proposed benefits for poll volunteers by including adequate funds for COMELEC in the 2022 national budget,” she added.
