Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) president and Quirino Governor Dax Cua has urged his fellow local leaders to use the Special Education Fund (SEF) to help ease the plight of teachers in their respective communities.

Cua made this call as the country commemorates National Teachers’ Month this September.

He said SEF is a “powerful tool” to provide “timely interventions that could benefit our overworked and underpaid school teachers.”

“If we get creative as well as use the SEF intelligently, we can create programs that would bring much-needed relief and aid to our teachers,” Cua said in a news release on Wednesday.

Cua said SEF could be used for a wide variety of programs, including the provision of additional allowances for teachers or the procurement of teaching materials.

The LGUs could also consider coming up with health and wellness programs, including free annual physical exams (APE) and discounts on medical consultations, laboratory tests, and emergency services for teachers and non-teaching personnel.

“We are in a position to lighten the burden carried by our teachers, so I hope we prioritize doing so because our educators are crucial in ensuring that our children have a better and brighter future,” he added.

Cua also urged the national government to help LGUs properly utilize the SEF, amid reports by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) that the fund remains underutilized.

The EDCOM reported that between 2018 and 2022, SEF underutilization amounted to PHP15 billion in 2022, with the highest rate noted in cities at 57 percent.

“Perhaps the national government could help less capable LGUs on the technical side so that they could maximize fund use,” Cua said.

The SEF is taken from the additional 1 percent on real property tax that Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code allows LGUs to impose and collect. The said tax is automatically released to the local school boards. (PNA)