Calls aired for class suspensions, election overtime pay, leaves

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May 7, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines —  Students are urging the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to suspend classes from May 10 to 13 to help increase youth voter turnout on May 12, election day.

In a statement, the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) emphasized that many students are enrolled in schools far from their home provinces, and CHED should grant them ample time to travel home to vote without missing classes.

“To be able to ensure a high student voter turnout, we believe that the Commission on Higher Education must declare class suspensions on May 10 to 13. This way, students will have enough time to travel to their hometowns, vote and come back to where their schools are located,” said NUSP national president Iya Trinidad.

NUSP pointed out that students, particularly those in college, make up a significant portion of the electorate.

“28.79 percent of the voting population are Gen Z, comprising 21.87 million voters, most of whom are college age. We need to guarantee that they will be able to exercise their right to vote on May 12, election day, including heeding the call for class suspension. The youth must not be robbed of an opportunity to win the future we deserve,” the group said.

While NUSP welcomed Malacañang’s move to declare May 12 a holiday, the group maintained that CHED must go further to support student voters.

“We welcome this development as a way for citizens to be able to take time on Monday to exercise their right to vote. But for students, we believe that there should be more leeway, especially for voters enrolled in schools based in metropolitan areas and city centers but registered in their hometown provinces,” the group added.

Teachers’ overtime pay

Meanwhile, public school teachers are calling on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to provide overtime pay to electoral board members, citing extended duty hours caused by prolonged voting hours and potential technical issues with automated counting machines.

In a letter sent to Comelec, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) proposed an overtime pay scheme that includes a standard 25 percent premium based on current honoraria rates: P625/hour for chairpersons and P573/hour for board members.

“The early voting period and the expected extension beyond the allotted voting hours effectively and significantly prolong working hours, requiring additional compensation in line with labor laws. In previous elections, teachers ended up working past midnight returning election paraphernalia because of the lack of stations accepting election returns, causing them to spend several hours waiting in line,” said ACT chairman Vladimer Quetua.

“This experience clearly shows why our teachers and poll workers deserve just pay for the full extent of their labor. Working long hours on election day is a civic duty, but it is also a service that must be properly and sufficiently compensated,” he added.

ACT also reiterated its call for the full tax exemption of honoraria and allowances, asserting that existing deductions reduce the already minimal compensation teachers receive.

“It is unjust that after working beyond regular hours under physically and mentally demanding conditions, our teachers are left with significantly reduced take-home pay due to taxation. Their honoraria should be treated as a form of recognition for their indispensable role every election, not taxable income,” Quetua said.

ACT further reminded Comelec of its commitment from a November 2024 dialogue to integrate the ACT Teachers Hotline into the official Voter Care system for real-time reporting during the elections.

The group also pushed for the full and faithful implementation of the Election Service Reform Act (ESRA), which protects the rights and welfare of election service workers.

“We urge the Comelec not only to uphold the provisions of ESRA, but also to actively engage with organizations that champion the rights and welfare of teachers, poll workers and voters. We will remain vigilant and proactive in safeguarding the conduct of fair, clean and honest elections,” Quetua said.

Flexible leaves

Labor groups are also joining the call for more voter-friendly policies.

Pushing for the adoption of a “flexible leave” scheme for employees, Federation of Free Workers (FFW) proposed a system that would allow workers sufficient time to cast their votes without facing penalties or loss of income.

The system, according to FFW president and senatorial candidate Sonny Matula, proposes that employees required to work on election day should be given adequate time to travel to their home provinces to vote, and those who report for duty should receive appropriate holiday pay.

“These measures aim to facilitate maximum voter turnout among the working population, reinforcing the principles of inclusive and participatory democracy,” he said.–  Mayen Jaymalin