The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) is pressing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for clarification regarding the release of the additional P1,000 honoraria for public school teachers and other personnel who served during the May 12, 2025 mid-term elections.
“Many are asking about the additional P1,000 honorarium for those who served during the elections. As of now, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not issued any official response or statement, even though this was announced by Malacañang some time ago,” TDC National Chairman Benjo Basas said in a statement in Filipino.
The group said they understand if this can’t be released alongside the actual honoraria. Based on TDC’s monitoring, no teacher or electoral board worker from their ranks has received said amount, even though the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) had confirmed as early as May 19 that the funds had been released to Comelec.
He also noted that teachers are concerned about whether the additional compensation would be taxed, as their regular election honoraria are subjected to a 15% withholding tax.
The TDC called on the Comelec to release a formal advisory addressing the release timeline of the additional pay and clarifying its tax implications. The group emphasized the importance of transparency and timely compensation for poll workers, especially teachers, who have long been at the forefront of ensuring fair and orderly elections.
Comelec has yet to issue updates on the additional pay but Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia emphasized on Thursday the need for a law that would increase honoraria automatically and exempt it from tax.
