Senior Bookkeeper: “It feels like we are much underpaid.”

Dear, GABOTAF:

Does the higher positions of the education sector know na ganito po kabigat ang duties and responsibilities ng isang ADAS3- Senior Bookkeeper assigned in Implementing Unit School?

It feels like we are much underpaid.
We act as Budget Officer, Accountant, sometimes property custodian/supply officer and much more.

We have to budget, obligate, journalize, and process bank transactions. By the end of the month, we have to prepare various financial reports & transmit to different offices. We have to update the online systems used by different agencies despite the submitted hardcopies, to top that these systems do not operate or more likely “lag” during working hours, hence, we need to overtime. And we do not get any reimbursement for the expenses incurred, and no compensation for these OTs.

We get to do reports even during our applied leave because no one was assigned to fill our absence unlike the teaching personnels. I experienced this onhand when I was on my Maternity Leave, I have to be alert and always online to notice the reports sent 8am and to be submitted by 12pm.

We are the one who gets to reconcile different reports from different agencies-reconciliation would include year in which I was not even born yet.

When there are AOMs from COA, we get the blame, saying that we are not doing our job properly.

Inside our office, I easily get critized and condemned whenever I say something that is against to what they been practicing, although it’s not legally adviced.

During a conference, we asked a regional officer about status of the senior Bookkeepers, and her response was that we simply need to check our duties & responsibilities attach along w/ our signed appointment, she added what’s written is what we have to do. In reality, we have too much workloads that we have to bring it at home and do unpaid OTs.

We do not have much voice in our agency.

I am very happy to have this job.
I feel so fulfilled and accomplished whenever I get to finish my tasks.
But sometimes I think it’s too much.

I am hoping that they see our worth and efforts, and accordingly compensate us.

Thank you.

— Rose