Teachers' group seeks clarification on RPMS Suspension

Public school teachers are seeking clarity on whether they need to submit the Individual Performance Commitment and Review Form (IPCRF) following the suspension of the Results-Based Performance Management System (RPMS) and Performance Based Incentive System (PBIS) based on President Marcos’ Executive Order No. 61.

“Our teachers are receiving various messages or screenshots from sources within the DepEd, but there is no official information,” said Benjo Basas, the group’s national chairperson.

EO 61 immediately suspends the RPMS and PBIS, designating 2023 as a transition year for the Performance-Based Bonus (PBB). Despite this and numerous speculations, the Department of Education (DepEd) has not released official information, as the 30-day uninterrupted vacation period ends on June 30.

To clear up the confusion in the field, the Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC), through Basas, has formally requested outgoing DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte to urgently clarify the suspension of the RPMS.

The confusion stems from conflicting interpretations of EO 61. While the order suspends the RPMS and PBIS, an alleged statement from DepEd's Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational Development (BHROD), dated June 13, 2024, suggests that the RPMS remains active, with only the PBIS and PBB suspended.

“We would like to express our collective concern over the conflicting messages received by our teachers in the field. The lack of clear guidance from DepEd is causing significant distress and uncertainty among our teachers and school heads, who are currently unsure how to proceed,” Basas said in the letter addressed to Duterte dated June 21, 2024.

The TDC says EO 61 is a measure to alleviate administrative burdens and streamline performance evaluation processes for government employees. The executive order suspends Administrative Order No. 25, s. 2011, and Executive Order No. 80, s. 2012, as amended, which established the RPMS and PBIS. The TDC views this as long-awaited validation of their concerns over the complexity and unfairness of the RPMS.

In its appeal, the TDC has urged DepEd to abolish the RPMS completely and return to a simpler, fairer performance evaluation system akin to the former Performance Appraisal System for Teachers (PAST). They also call for teacher representation in discussions led by the soon-to-be-formed Technical Working Group (TWG), emphasizing the need for transparent consultations to ensure fair policy formulation.

The group has also raised questions about the IPCRF submission requirements specifically for the 2023–2024 school year, given the transitional provisions of EO 61. Instead of the PBB, they propose increasing the amount of incentives such as the Performance Enhancement Incentive (PEI) and Special Recognition Incentive (SRI) to reduce bureaucratic hurdles and improve fairness in reward distribution.

DepEd has yet to issue an official response to the TDC's appeal.

Source: Teachers' Dignity Coalition (TDC)

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