PASIG CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) has increased vacation service credits (VSCs) for public school teachers from 15 to 30 days under new guidelines introduced by DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2024.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara signed the order, which streamlines the administration of VSCs, allowing teachers to offset absences due to illness or personal reasons, or to recover salary deductions during vacation periods.
The revised order now entitles incumbent teachers with at least one year of service, as well as newly hired teachers appointed within four months after the start of classes, to 30 days of VSCs annually. Additionally, newly hired teachers whose appointments are issued four months after the start of classes will receive 45 days of VSCs per year.
The new guidelines also provide for calculating service credits beyond regular work hours. For every hour of eligible service rendered during school days, teachers will now earn 1.25 hours of VSC. If the service is rendered during Christmas or summer breaks, weekends, or holidays, this will be equivalent to 1.5 hours of VSC per hour.
Teachers assigned to perform ancillary tasks or additional teaching-related duties outside of their regular hours will also benefit from the new guidelines. These tasks include attending training sessions, conducting remedial or enhancement classes, election-related duties, parent-teacher conferences, and home visits.
Approval of VSCs will require authorization from the Schools Division Superintendent or another designated authority.
The new guidelines reflect DepEd’s commitment to addressing the evolving demands on teachers and ensuring they are properly compensated for additional work. This move also aims to safeguard teachers’ net take-home pay by recognizing their participation in DepEd-led activities.