The Department of Budget and Management disbursed P11.6 billion worth of bonuses to 920,073 public school teachers nationwide two years after the Budget Department withheld releasing 2021 Performance-Based Bonus (PBB).

Records from the DBM showed as of 1 September 2023 that all 16 Regional Offices of the Department have released the corresponding Special Allotment Release Orders and Notice of Cash Allocations to the DepEd for the FY 2021 PBB of the school-based personnel.

The SAROs/NCAs have been issued after the DBM's evaluation and validation of the required updated documents, which DepEd submitted from April to August 2023.

In a statement, DBM explained that the basis for granting the FY 2021 PBB is DepEd's accomplishments for FY 2021.

The Final Evaluation Assessment for the DepEd was released by the Administrative Order No. 25 Inter-Agency Task Force in January 2023, while the DepEd submitted the necessary documents for the purpose to the DBM from April to August 2023.

This could be attributed to the strikingly high number of eligible personnel at around 900,000 employees in the DepEd, and the voluminous documents being submitted for the purpose.

"The evaluation of documents for the FY 2021 PBB to the school-based personnel of the DepEd was facilitated and processed by the DBM immediately after," DBM said in a statement.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman then reassured DepEd's teaching personnel of the release of the PBB, saying that DBM stands with the country's educators and recognizes their extraordinary work.

"President (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.) reminded us not to leave them hanging. That is why we are one with our teachers in pursuing the immediate release of their PBB," Pangandaman said.

*FY 2021 PBB of non-teaching personnel for revalidation*

Meanwhile, documentary requirements for the FY 2021 PBB of non-teaching personnel under the Schools Division Offices in eight (8) ROs (NCR, CAR, RO Nos. III, IV-A, VIII, XI, XII, and XIII) have been returned by DBM to DepEd for revalidation/revision.

The documents were sent back due to varying concerns, such as duplicate entries, incorrect information on the months of service, and certain personnel not found in the DepEd's Personnel Services Itemization and Plantilla of Personnel, among others.

Once received, revalidated, and approved by DBM, the documents will be endorsed to DBM ROs for processing of the SARO and NCA.

The DBM Central Office is also reviewing submitted documents for the FY 2021 PBB of non-teaching personnel in eight other DepEd ROs.