DepEd increases teachers' vacation credits
(UPDATES) THE Department of Education (DepEd) has increased the vacation service credits (VSCs) of public school teachers from 15 days to 30 days to ensure they are properly compensated for additional work, particularly during school breaks or long vacations. It would also safeguard teachers' net take-home pay by recognizing their participation in DepEd-led activities at the national, regional, and division levels, alongside its partners and stakeholders. In Department Order 13 series of 2024 signed by Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara on Sept. 18, 2024, incumbent teachers with at least one year of service, as well as newly hired teachers appointed within four months after the start of classes, are entitled to 30 days of VSCs annually. Newly hired teachers whose appointments were released four months after the start of classes will receive 45 days of VSCs per year. Also, the order calculates the provision for service credits beyond regular work hours, where for every hour of eligible service rendered during school days, teachers will earn 1.25 hours of VSC, while services rendered during Christmas or summer breaks, weekends, or holidays will be equivalent to 1.5 hours of VSC per hour. The new guidelines state that teachers assigned to ancillary tasks and additional teaching-related duties outside of their regular hours such as attending training sessions on weekends or holidays, conducting remedial or enhancement classes, election-related duties, parent-teacher conferences, and home visits can also enjoy benefits. In cases where teaching overload is not compensated through overload pay, teachers will be credited with 1.25 hours of VSC for every hour of teaching on top of their 30 day entitlement. Vacation and service credits can only be used for absences related to illness or to offset proportional deduction in vacation pay due to absences for personal reasons or late appointment for the computation of Proportional Vacation Pay. Approval of VSCs will require authorization from the schools division superintendent or any other designated authority.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
(UPDATES) THE Department of Education (DepEd) has increased the vacation service credits (VSCs) of public school teachers from 15 days to 30 days to ensure they are properly compensated for additional work, particularly during school breaks or long vacations.
It would also safeguard teachers' net take-home pay by recognizing their participation in DepEd-led activities at the national, regional, and division levels, alongside its partners and stakeholders.
In Department Order 13 series of 2024 signed by Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara on Sept. 18, 2024, incumbent teachers with at least one year of service, as well as newly hired teachers appointed within four months after the start of classes, are entitled to 30 days of VSCs annually.
Newly hired teachers whose appointments were released four months after the start of classes will receive 45 days of VSCs per year.
Also, the order calculates the provision for service credits beyond regular work hours, where for every hour of eligible service rendered during school days, teachers will earn 1.25 hours of VSC, while services rendered during Christmas or summer breaks, weekends, or holidays will be equivalent to 1.5 hours of VSC per hour.
The new guidelines state that teachers assigned to ancillary tasks and additional teaching-related duties outside of their regular hours such as attending training sessions on weekends or holidays, conducting remedial or enhancement classes, election-related duties, parent-teacher conferences, and home visits can also enjoy benefits.
In cases where teaching overload is not compensated through overload pay, teachers will be credited with 1.25 hours of VSC for every hour of teaching on top of their 30 day entitlement.
Vacation and service credits can only be used for absences related to illness or to offset proportional deduction in vacation pay due to absences for personal reasons or late appointment for the computation of Proportional Vacation Pay.
Approval of VSCs will require authorization from the schools division superintendent or any other designated authority.
