GUIDELINES ON THE GRANT OF VACATION SERVICE CREDITS TO TEACHERS DESIGNATED AS DISTRICT/SCHOOL PROPERTY CUSTODIANS

To:

Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Heads, Elementary and Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned

1. In the absence of regular Supply/Property Officers or Storekeepers in elementary and secondary schools, selected elementary and secondary school teachers are often designated by the Schools Division Superintendents to perform functions of Property Custodians in districts and schools, either on part-time or full-time basis.

2. The designated Property Custodians perform, among others, important workloads that include the receipt, issuance, and maintenance, safekeeping of supplies, materials and equipment and other properties and facilities of the school. They also conduct and maintain the inventory of properties and prepare the required reports.

3. In order to ensure the uniform implementation and clarify issues and concerns in the designation of Property Custodians, the following guidelines are issued:

a. As a general rule, teachers should be assigned teaching duties. However, for schools with a student population of 2,000 and more, teachers may be designated as Property Custodian if all teacher needs have been met and there is no need for additional teachers in the near future. Since designated Property Custodians perform solely non-teaching functions and are required to render services during the Christmas and summer vacations, they are considered on the vacation-sick leave basis and are no longer entitled to the grant of Proportional Vacation Pay (PVP);
b. Teachers designated as Property Custodians but who continue to have regular teaching loads (of at least 2 but not beyond 4) shall render services on part-time basis and shall remain in the teachers’ leave basis. Any work done within the school premises in excess of 8 hours during the regular school days shall be given additional compensation or overtime pay;
c. When funds are not available for the grant of additional compensation or overtime pay, vacation service credits may be granted for services rendered beyond the required working hours during regular school days, which is exclusive of the 15 days limitation under DepED Order No. 53, s. 2003;
d. The specific provisions of DepED Memorandum No. 291, s. 2008 and the addendum under DepED Order No. 16, s. 2009 shall be enforced in this regard; and
e. Teachers designated on part-time basis as Property Custodians and who are required to render services during the summer vacation to conduct property inventory after the closing and before the opening of classes shall likewise be granted vacation service credits of not more than 15 days, also exclusive of the 15 days limitation.

4. The following procedures/requirements must be observed:

a. The designation of a teacher to perform as Property Custodian whether on part-time or full-time basis shall be recommended by the School Head to the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) provided that a certification is issued by the School Head that all teacher needs have been met and no additional teachers are needed in the near future;
b. The SDS shall issue an Order designating the teacher as Property Custodian, which shall include the specific tasks to be performed;
c. Only duly designated Property Custodians may be paid additional compensation or overtime pay or may be granted vacation service credits under these guidelines;
d. The School Head shall submit to the SDS the request for the grant of vacation service credits, clearly indicating the total number of days served by the designated Property Custodian during the summer vacation together with the duly signed daily time record (DTR) for approval; and
e. The discretion to determine the allowable number of vacation service credits that may be allowed is vested with the SDS.

5. The accumulated vacation service credits of teachers shall be used to offset absences of teachers due to illness. Subject to availability of funds and approval of the SDS, monetization or payment of the money value of unused vacation service credits may be allowed, using the approved formula for computation, conversion and reversion under existing CSC rules and regulations.

Immediate dissemination of and compliance with this Order is directed.

JESLI A. LAPUS
Secretary

Download: Guidelines on the Grant of Vacation Service Credits to Teachers Designated as District/School Property Custodians