MANILA - The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said Friday it will investigate cases of some teachers allegedly being forced to participate in the Department of Education’s National Learning Camps (NLC).

The NLC will be held this July 24 to August 25, or during the supposed “proportional vacation leave” of teachers.

While the NLC is supposed to be voluntary on the part of teachers and learners, some teachers are being required to take part in the camps, ACT Secretary General Raymund Basilio said in a press conference.

“I think the question is totoo bang voluntary? May mga namonitor tayo na recorded cases sa Facebook na ang post ni teacher ha, ‘voluntary sa memo pero bakit samin compulsory’?” Basilio said.

“We are investigating cases ng violation sa implementation ng NLC, particular doon sa pag-respect sa right ng teacher na magpahinga dahil ito ay panahon ng kanilang proportional vacation leave,” he added.

Basilio did not name who these teachers are, but he said one of them is an ACT member, while others are not, and all of them are working in schools outside of Metro Manila.

ACT is ready to file a complaint should they prove that these teachers are being forced by their respective schools, Basilio said.

“We can complain, una violation iyan ng karapatan ni teacher dahil sa unfair labor practices na maaari namin ipaabot sa Civil Service Commission at the Public Sector Labor Management Office,” he added.

“Again karapatan ni teacher magpahinga, and kung may extra work man na gusto ipagawa ng Department of Education, during the period of the proportional vacation leave dapat iyan ay voluntary. Purong-purong voluntary,” said Balilio.

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DepEd, meanwhile, said participation is voluntary and it urged the public to report any case of violation of the NLC rules.

"It is very clear in our guidelines that participation in the NLC is voluntary. If such is true, then the teachers concerned can report the matter to their Division/Regional Offices,” DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said in a text message to ABS-CBN News.

DepEd earlier said that the NLC aims to address the learning losses and gaps due to the 2-year pandemic period where blended learning and other forms of alternative learning methods were employed in schools.

It will be piloted in Grades 7 and 8, focusing on English, Math and Science subjects.

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