From the Website of MILF
MILF struggle doesn’t end in being able to govern the BARMM, but in reforming Bangsamoro Society-Minister Iqbal
Cotabato City-In a privilege speech delivered by Minister Mohagher Iqbal
of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) during
the resumption of BTA Parliament 2nd Regular Session on June 23, at the
Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex (SKCC), in Cotabato City said that,
the “MILF struggle doesn’t end in being able to govern the BARMM but
rather in reforming society through the principle of moral governance.”
Said statement was made when he shed light on the two
memoranda terminating the employment of provisional and temporary
employees of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education
effective May 31, 2020.
Minister Iqbal said,
the MBHTE has 25,554 number of employees which represent the 60% of
BARMM employees. There are 22,538 teaching personnel, 828 provisional
employees who comprise 3.2% of the total population of MBHTE or 3.6% of
the teaching personnel. According to him, he needs to balance compassion
and discipline while, at the same time, upholding the rule of law. In
giving compassion, he however cannot afford to trample upon categorical
provisions of law, civil service commission, memorandum circulars, and
other applicable government auditing and accounting rules.
The
BARMM government identified several “species” particularly, ghost
schools, ghost teachers and ghost school buildings, even including the
flying ones, Iqbal said.
The MBHTE received so
many bashes and comments on the issued Memorandum Order No. 154 and
Memorandum Order No. 194-B on the Cease and Desist Order of Provisional
Teachers and Employees under temporary status to take effect on May 31,
2020, which was already an extension to grant the provisional employees
their midyear bonus and Emergency Relief Assistance, Iqbal added.
Explaining
further, Minister Iqbal said a provisional or temporary appointment is
good only for one (1) school year but the affected provisional employees
stayed with their position for almost two (2) decades. Some even stayed
30 to 40 years in service, which is clearly against the law. This
happened because of political reasons before that needs to be corrected
now.
Today is the time to reform education to
professionalize the rules governing teachers in the BARMM, to clean and
disinfect the society, said Minister Iqbal. For the Minister, there is
an urgent need to uplift the quality and status of education.
Minister
Iqbal appealed to the Chief Minister and the Ministry and Budget and
Finance to allocate budget for the provisional employees to be taken in
as contract of service until 2021.
There is no
law allowing non-eligible teachers or non-LET passers to become a
permanent employee or be given a plantilla position.
On
the question of length of service of contract of service of provisional
employees, Minister Iqbal said that it is only good for one (1) year.
If they will pass the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET), then
their status is changed automatically from provisional to permanent
status. If they will not pass, they have to accept being removed from
the post.
According to Minister Iqbal, it is a
matter of sequencing the process. The largest province and population
goes first and this is Maguindanao. This will be followed by Tawi-Tawi,
Basilan, Sulu and then Lanao del Sur. Currently, there are already more
than 9,000 teachers from Lanao del Sur, compared to only more than 6,000
for Maguindanao.
Now, there are 1,000
applicants from Marawi City but there are only 16 available items. There
is a need to promote some positions first to create more items. The
School Head shall be given a permanent position, not just a designation
to avoid conflict and political interest.
Other questions raised during the interpellations were answered by Minister Iqbal.
MILF Website
Article links:
BANGSAMORO FRAMEFORK
OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTIONS WEBSITES
PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
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