By Teachers’ Dignity Coalition national chairman Benjo Basas
Reports have reached the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition regarding teachers who received suspicious messages in their official Department of Education (DepEd) emails, urging them to verify their accounts by registering phone numbers or completing other actions through unfamiliar links. In one alarming incident, Mia Lozano, a teacher from Rizal, was lured into providing her information, believing it was a legitimate message from Landbank, and later received a notification that a bank withdrawal had been successfully made from her account and transferred to an electronic wallet.
We expressed deep concern, noting that similar schemes victimized nearly 100 teachers in 2022, with losses ranging from P5,000 to over P100,000.
Sa panahon ng bigayan ng bonus, lumalala yung mga ganitong scam na talagang tina-target ang mga teacher. Kawawa naman ang mga nagiging biktima, nasisimot ang pinaghirapang pera (During bonus season, these types of scams that specifically target teachers get worse. The victims are truly pitiful; their hard-earned money is completely wiped out).
We are calling on both the DepEd and the Land Bank of the Philippines to immediately issue advisories and strengthen security measures to protect teachers, government employees and the public. Scammers tend to become more aggressive during the year-end bonus season, a period when government workers’ accounts are most vulnerable.
Nag-offer ng convenient banking ang Landbank through its online platform, pero sana ginawa nilang safe at secured ang pera ng mga kliyente nila (Landbank offers convenient banking through its online platform, but they should have made their clients’ money safe and secure).
We urged teachers to ignore suspicious emails, avoid clicking unsolicited links and report any possible phishing attempts to DepEd and the Landbank.
Culture is not just food, language, or clothing. It is about values. Respect for the elders, love for country, and pride in who we are – these should never disappear. It’s time we go back to the roots. We don’t have to be perfect, but we must try. Start by saying “po” and “opo” doing the “mano po,” singing our folk songs, and wearing our Filipino dress with pride.
Because if we forget your culture, we forget who we are.