Teachers negotiated with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and won additional rights and benefits for those serving in the upcoming 2025 election. The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Party-list, ACT-Philippines, and ACT NCR Union successfully asserted these benefits in a dialogue with Comelec Chairman Garcia on November 5.

Former ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, ACT national president Vladimer Quetua, ACT NCR Union president Ruby Bernardo, and NCR local union leaders attended the dialogue. “This is a significant win for our teachers who have long served as the backbone of Philippine elections,” Rep. Tinio said.

Among the benefits they were able to secure is the doubling of their “service credit” from the original 5 days to 10 days. Meanwhile, Comelec will give 5 days’ credit to other government employees who will serve in the election.

Chairman Garcia also assured the implementation of the previously announced additional ₱2,000 honorarium. The teachers also secured the chairman’s support for removing taxes on their honorarium. The commission will also strive to provide a ₱1,000 transportation allowance on election day.

“The doubling of service credits and the additional benefits will help compensate for the risks and challenges they face during election duty,” Rep. Tinio added.

Other benefits they secured include the Comelec’s promise to provide free food and lodging during training, simplification of the reimbursement process for legal and medical expenses for teachers, legal assistance, and additional support staff for each precinct. The commission also assured them of the measures to protect teachers against Red-tagging.

Rep. Tinio added that the collaboration between the ACT Election Hotline and Comelec will further strengthen the support system for teachers during the election. “These commitments demonstrate recognition of the importance of the service rendered by teachers during elections,” he said.