Philstar.com
November 29, 2024 | 5:19pm
MANILA, Philippines — Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara has written to various private financial institutions to request a three-month moratorium on loan payments for public school teachers and non-teaching staff in typhoon-stricken areas of Luzon, the department announced Friday, November 29.
Angara is proposing a moratorium starting in January 2025 and lasting until March, with payments resuming in April 2025.
If granted, the relief measure would apply to DepEd employees who are verified residents of areas officially declared under a state of calamity since September 2024.
“I sincerely hope that, in times of need, even the private sector, including the esteemed financial institution, would find reason to extend to them this much-needed help,” Angara said in a letter to the financial institutions.
“Our personnel have consistently served the nation and its people in ensuring that the future of the youth is brighter through the provision of quality education,” Angara said.
DepEd, in a statement, said it has coordinated with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to ensure that current loans subject to the moratorium will not be classified as non-performing during the relief period. The proposed measure would also cover all charges, costs, and interests.
Additionally, Angara has requested similar loan payment relief from the Government Service Insurance System for affected DepEd staff. A separate request has been made for a one-month loan payment moratorium in December 2024 for all DepEd personnel, regardless of location.
The initiative comes in response to the series of strong typhoons that have recently affected large swaths of Luzon, causing widespread damage and financial hardship for education workers in the affected regions. — Cristina Chi
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