Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education

Office of the Schools Division

Superintendent

February 20, 2022

DIVISION MEMORANDUM
No. 035 , s. 2022

FURTHER CLARIFICATIONS ON COVID-19 VACCINATION PROTOCOLS FOR

ONSITE REPORTING OF TEACHING AND NON-TEACHING PERSONNEL

To: Assistant Schools Division Superintendents

Chief Education Supervisors
Public Schools District Supervisors/Districts-in-Charge
Public Elementary/Secondary School Heads
All Others Concerned

1. The Office hereby disseminates the AIDE MEMOIRE issued by Usec. Alain Del B. Pascua
dated 16 February 2022 entitled: “Covid-19 Vaccination Protocols for Onsite Reporting
of Teaching and Nonteaching Personnel at the Department of Education.” Please see
Enclosure 1.

2. The following provisions are reiterated in the said AIDE MEMOIRE:

2.1Page 3 Item/Paragraph 5: “As a general rule, the cost of the RT-PCR or antigen
test who are not fully vaccinated and have refused to be vaccinated despite being eligible
for full vaccination shall be charged at the personnel’s own expense” (open/close
quotation marks supplied);

2.2 Item/Paragraph 6: “If the personnel have acceptable reasons for not (yet) being
fully vaccinated, they shall still be required to undergo the regular RT-PCR/antigen tests,
but these shall no longer be at their own expense. Instead, their tests shall be facilitated
or covered by their respective offices or schools”;

2.3 Item 7 also clearly provided that for the employee to claim that the cost of her/his
antigen test shall be shouldered by the office or the schools, the following reasons must be
existent:

2.3.1 medical reasons as validated by the DepEd medical officer;

2.3.2 the personnel’s second dose is not yet due under the interval prescribed for
the brand of vaccine they received as the first dose (based on IATF Resolutions 149); and

Address: DepEd Cebu Province, IPHO Bldg., Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City
Telephone Nos.: 032-4249000
Email Address: cebu.province@deped.gov.ph
 2.3.3 any other reason that may be covered by a local government ordinance (e.g.
religious exemption).

3. In this view, for teachers or nonteaching personnel who will claim that the cost of the
antigen test shall be at the expense of the office or school (c/o MOOE), the concerned
employee must write a letter request to the head of the office or school head to avail such
privilege, such privilege is subject to availability of funds, and the usual auditing
and/or accounting rules or regulations.

4. For an employee who refused to be vaccinated on the ground of religion, faith, or belief
in his/her gods or goddesses, he/she can only claim the cost of the antigen test as office or
school’s expense, if there is an exemption granted to him/her of not to be vaccinated on
account or ground of his/her faith or religion, such exemption must be covered by a local
or municipal ordinance. In the absence of a local or municipal ordinance, then the
cost of his/her antigen test shall be personal or at his/her own cost.

5. Item/Paragraph 8 on Page 3 of the said AIDE MEMOIRE, also clarified: (to quote) “In
consideration of personnel who are not fully vaccinated for other reasons not included above
and therefore will be required to shoulder the costs of their tests in case they are required
to report to work, as well as for some offices that may not have the capacity to
facilitate/cover the expenses for the testing of the personnel who are not fully
vaccinated but have acceptable reasons, the existing on-site work capacity requirements
based on IATF Alert Levels may be taken advantage of, so that the said person may be
placed under applicable work arrangements (e.g. work-from-home) while they are
waiting to be vaccinated (bold characters supplied).

6. In this regard, the following are hereby considered:

6.1 Unvaccinated teachers or employees shall not be allowed entry into the schools
or offices unless the negative antigen test/result is presented upon entry; the practice of
allowing unvaccinated teachers or employees to enter schools or offices and by
providing them separate classrooms or facilities is no longer allowed;

6.2 If the office or schools cannot shoulder the cost of the antigen test for those
employees who have the reasons as cited in 2.3.1 to 2.3.3, then they should be placed in
work-from-home arrangement; “excused absences” with pay for unvaccinated teachers
shall only be granted until February 28, 2022; starting March 1, 2022, they should be
under the work-from-home arrangement (if no antigen test is presented), provided that
their performance or work outputs/MOVs shall be strictly monitored as per CSC Memo No.
18, s.2020 and the reasons cited or invoked are in items 2.3.1 to 2.3.3, as cited above.

7. This is to further reiterate that the requirement on the presentation of the RT-PCR or
negative antigen test/result is an IATF directive as cited in IATF Resolution No. 140-B dated
11 November 2021 (to quote):

Address: DepEd Cebu Province, IPHO Bldg., Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City
Telephone Nos.: 032-4249000
Email Address: cebu.province@deped.gov.ph
 “A. In areas where there are sufficient supplies of COVID-19 vaccines as determined
by the National Vaccines Operation Center (NVOC), all establishments and employers in the
public and private sector shall require their eligible employees who are tasked to do on-site
work to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Eligible employees who remain to be unvaccinated
may not be terminated solely by reason thereof. However, they shall be required to undergo
RT-PCR tests regularly at their own expense for purposes of on-site work. Provided that,
antigen tests may be resorted to when RT-PCR capacity is insufficient or not immediately
available” (bold characters supplied).

8. The unvaccinated teacher or employee who is granted the exemption by the LGU of not
being vaccinated or not required to undergo the antigen test due to his/her religion, faith,
or belief shall be in a work-from-arrangement in a five-day workweek (until revoked by
the head of the office). The concerned teacher must present in addition to the ordinance
or resolution granting such exemption from the LGU, the certification from his/her pastor
or church leader certifying the veracity of her/his membership to the religious sect or
denomination.

9.If Cebu Province will be placed under Alert Level 1 (new normal) by March 1, 2022, all
work-from-home arrangements previously granted (3-2 working plan) are considered
revoked or cancelled except for those granted with work-from-home arrangement due to
religious reasons. The CSC rules regarding sick leave or other types of leave of absence
before lockdown or Covid-19 public health calamity shall be applied.

10. All issuances (e.g., Div. Memo Nos. 13 & 27, s. 2022) which are inconsistent with the
stipulations cited above are deemed repealed or modified accordingly. However, other
stipulations or provisions which are not inconsistent with the above-cited provisions remain
to be in order and in effect.

11. Please refer to the full text of the AIDE MEMOIRE for further details as herein attached.
Wide dissemination of and strict compliance of this Memorandum is hereby directed.

MARILYN S. ANDALES EdD, CESO V

Schools Division Superintendent

sds/sgod/vay/2022

Address: DepEd Cebu Province, IPHO Bldg., Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City
Telephone Nos.: 032-4249000
Email Address: cebu.province@deped.gov.ph