Targeted Support for Teachers and Non-Teaching Personnel in Last Mile and GIDA Schools.
Section 10
SEC. 10. Targeted Support for Teachers and Non-Teaching Personnel in Last Mile and GIDA Schools. - The DepEd, in coordination with the DBM, concerned LGUs, and other relevant agencies, shall provide a comprehensive support package for teachers and non-teaching personnel assigned to Last Mile and GIDA Schools, which shall include: (a) Additional Compensation and Allowances - Teaching and non-teaching personnel under the Program may be eligible for additional compensation and allowances, separate from existing benefits, which may include, but are not limited to, special hardship allowance and mobility assistance, including transportation support for deployment and periodic travel, as may be applicable to their respective circumstances; (b) Housing and Accommodation Support - The DepEd, in coordination with concerned LGUs, may provide accommodation support, especially for relocated school personnel, which may include the construction of quarters where feasible, rental or housing subsidies or partnerships with LGUs and communities for safe local housing; (c) Professional Development and Teacher Pipeline - The DepEd shall strengthen teacher preparation and retention through relevant in-service trainings, scholarships, and bridging programs through the National Educators Academy of the Philippines, in coordination with the Teacher Education Council (TEC). In support of this, the TEC shall undertake the following: (1) Develop contextualized pre-service teacher education and graduate program curriculum; (2) Affirm career stages to establish progression pathways; (3) Develop scholarships and teacher education support programs for pre-service teachers from GIDAs and ICC/IPs, linked to return-to-service obligations in Last Mile and GIDA Schools, including the institutionalization of a Teacher Education Scholarship Program for GIDA communities; and (4) Develop a system for adding credit points in the evaluation of teachers and school heads in Last Mile and GIDA Schools, for purposes of scholarship grants and other career advancement opportunities; and (d) Localized Recruitment and Engagement Mechanisms - The DepEd shall promote community-based and context-responsive staffing: (1) Hiring of qualified teachers are prescribed under Republic Act No. 8190, entitled "An Act Granting Priority to Residents of the Barangay, Municipality or City Where the School is Located, in the Appointment or Assignment of Classroom Public School Teachers"; (2) Prioritizing the hiring of essential non-teaching personnel who are residents of, willing to reside in, or culturally connected to the local community, and who demonstrate proficiency in the local language; (3) Adopting provisional or alternative deployment pathways for qualified individuals, including deployment as Learning Support Aides, subject to appropriate safeguards, and implementing a direct hiring and placement program for qualified candidates from GIDAs; and (4) Engaging IKSP educators, culture-bearers, tradition-keepers. and other recognized indigenous resource persons as essential partners in the delivery of contextualized education. The DepEd and NCIP shall establish mechanisms for their engagement, including recognition protocols appropriate to their cultural roles and contributions.