In a recent announcement, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has confirmed that teachers involved in the upcoming May 12, 2025 national and local elections will be compensated at higher rates than in previous years. Lionel Marco Castillano, the regional election director for the Negros Island Region, highlighted that this decision follows appeals for better remuneration and additional benefits for educators serving as election staff.
Teachers are set to receive not only an increased honorarium but also a service incentive leave, proposed to range from 5 to 7 days, along with a monetary incentive boost. Castillano emphasized the significance of adequately compensating teachers, particularly in challenging scenarios such as potential relocations due to volcanic activity in areas like Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, and parts of Negros Occidental.
The new honorarium rates for members of the Board of Election Inspectors are set at PHP 12,000 for the chairperson, PHP 11,000 for the poll clerk, PHP 10,000 for the third member, and PHP 8,000 for support staff. These figures represent an increase from the 2022 election rates, which were PHP 10,000 for the chairperson, PHP 9,000 for both the poll clerk and the member, and PHP 6,000 for support staff.
Preparations for the elections include training sessions on election laws and the operation of Automated Counting Machines (ACMs), scheduled for March. Castillano also noted preparations for potential worst-case scenarios, such as the relocation of voting centers in Canlaon City to other venues if the volcano’s alert level reaches 4. This could affect the entire first district of Negros Oriental, where schools might be repurposed as evacuation centers.
Teachers from Canlaon City may need to be reassigned to new locations on election day, affecting areas including Vallehermoso, Guihulngan City, La Libertad, Jimalalud, Tayasan, Ayungon, Bindoy, and Manjuyod. Despite these challenges, Comelec has stated that there will be no postponement of the elections, even in the event of a volcanic eruption, to avoid disrupting the national election results.