Jonell Rhae Manalo

Appointed Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, has increased the Vacation Service Credits (VSC) for public school teachers to 30 days on September 18.

Photo Courtesy of The Philippine Star.

The revision has made a significant increase in the annual VSC allocation for teachers with the DepEd Order No. 13, series of 2024, making them entitled to 30 VSCs annually, up from the previous limit of 15 by the DO No. 84 and 53, s. of 2003.

Public school teachers with at least one year of service and newly hired teachers within four months of the school year qualify for this annual allocation, while newly hired teachers deployed more than four months after the start of the school year will receive 45 VSCs.

The revised order allows teachers to earn 1.25 hours of VSC for every hour of service rendered beyond their regular work hours.

For work performed during holidays, breaks, weekends, or suspensions, teachers will earn 1.5 VSC per hour.

Teachers can also accumulate VSCs by attending training sessions on weekends or holidays, conducting remedial or enhancement classes, performing election-related duties, or participating in parent-teacher conferences and home visits.

The 15-day VSC limit imposed under DO No. 53, s. 2003 is also set to be lifted, which was especially beneficial for educators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To ensure proper administration of the program, DepEd has mandated that the approval of VSCs requires educators to obtain "authorization" from the Schools Division Superintendent or another designated authority.

VSCs are non-monetary benefits awarded to teachers for work performed beyond their regular duties and can be utilized to cover absences due to illness or to offset deductions in vacation pay.

The revision order is set to take effect 15 days after its signing.