I. Introduction

Part-time teachers constitute an indispensable component of the faculty complement in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) throughout the Philippines. They provide specialized instruction in fields where full-time plantilla positions are limited or where industry practitioners bring current professional expertise. The legal regime governing their salary determination and the maintenance of their service records derives from the interplay of constitutional mandates on education, the corporate autonomy granted to SUCs, civil service rules, budgetary discipline under the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the oversight functions of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). This article synthesizes all established statutory, administrative, and jurisprudential principles on the subject, presenting a complete exposition of the rules, computation methods, documentary requirements, crediting of service, and attendant obligations as they apply uniformly across all SUCs.

II. Constitutional and Statutory Foundations

Article XIV, Section 5(1) of the 1987 Constitution declares that the State shall “protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.” Article XIV, Section 5(4) further requires the State to assign the highest budgetary priority to education and to ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction.

Republic Act No. 8292, the Higher Education Modernization Act of 1997, vests SUCs with corporate personality and the power, under Section 4(b), to “determine and fix the compensation of its faculty and staff, subject to the provisions of the Salary Standardization Law and other applicable laws.” While SUCs enjoy fiscal autonomy, compensation schemes for all personnel, including part-time faculty, remain anchored on the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) as amended by Republic Act No. 11466 (2020) and subsequent DBM issuances. Part-time teachers are not excluded from this framework; their remuneration must conform to the principle of equal pay for equal work and the prohibition against diminution of benefits.

Republic Act No. 4670, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, although primarily applicable to basic education, supplies guiding principles on compensation and professionalization that CHED and SUCs have consistently applied by analogy to higher education faculty.

III. Definition and Nature of Part-Time Teaching Engagement

A part-time teacher in an SUC is engaged under a contract of service or a lecturer’s appointment, not under a regular plantilla position. The engagement is for a definite period—usually one semester or one academic year—and is renewable upon satisfactory performance and budgetary availability. The status is “contract of service” or “job order” under DBM and Civil Service Commission (CSC) classifications, distinct from casual, temporary, or permanent appointments. Such engagements do not carry security of tenure but are protected by due process requirements under CSC rules whenever non-renewal is contemplated on grounds of performance or conduct.

IV. Salary Determination: Legal Standards and Computation

A. Governing Policies

Salary or honorarium rates for part-time teachers are fixed by the SUC Board of Regents/Trustees through a resolution, subject to availability of funds under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) and compliance with DBM National Budget Circulars on personal services. The overarching principle is that the rate must be equitable, competitive with prevailing industry standards for the discipline, and aligned with the salary grade and step of the equivalent full-time rank.

B. Standard Computation Formula

The universally applied formula across SUCs is:

Hourly Rate = (Monthly Salary of Equivalent Full-Time Position at Step 1 of the Salary Grade) ÷ 160 hours

The divisor 160 represents the standard monthly teaching/administrative load for full-time faculty (40 hours per week × 4 weeks). This formula ensures parity between full-time and part-time faculty performing the same instructional function.

Example (using SSL 5 rates as of the latest applicable schedule):

Equivalent rank: Instructor I, Salary Grade 18, Step 1 – ₱42,000 monthly.
Hourly rate = ₱42,000 ÷ 160 = ₱262.50 per hour.

For higher ranks (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor), the corresponding higher salary grades apply. Additional factors such as master’s or doctoral degree allowance, or special qualifications in board-regulated professions, may be factored in through board-approved multipliers not exceeding limits prescribed by DBM.

C. Payment Modalities and Adjustments

Payment is effected on a per-hour basis upon submission and verification of actual teaching hours rendered, supported by a Daily Time Record (DTR) or equivalent class attendance log signed by the department chair and certified by the human resource management office. Release is normally at the end of each semester or on a monthly pro-rata basis when the contract so provides.

Annual salary increases under SSL are automatically reflected in the hourly rate for the succeeding academic year. Regional wage orders do not apply because SUCs are national government agencies; however, cost-of-living adjustments or special allowances authorized by the President or Congress are passed on proportionately.

D. Prohibited Practices and Safeguards

No part-time teacher may be paid below the computed hourly rate. “Lump-sum” honoraria that effectively reduce the hourly equivalent are disallowed under DBM rules on personal services. Double compensation is strictly prohibited: a part-time teacher who also holds a full-time government position may receive payment only for actual hours rendered outside official hours, subject to the 40-hour weekly cap under CSC rules.

V. Benefits and Emoluments Attached to Compensation

Part-time teachers are entitled to:

Pro-rata 13th-month pay (if service reaches at least one month within the calendar year, pursuant to DBM Circular No. 2017-2 as amended).
Hazard pay, if assigned to laboratory or field work with recognized hazards.
Clothing allowance and other monetized benefits on pro-rata basis when authorized under the GAA.
No vacation or sick leave credits accrue, but actual service hours are recorded for future conversion should the teacher later enter plantilla service.

PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG contributions are mandatory and deducted proportionately. GSIS membership is optional unless the SUC elects to enroll the part-timer; in the latter case, premiums are shared.

VI. Service Record Requirements

A. Legal Mandate

CSC Memorandum Circular No. 4, Series of 1991 (as amended by subsequent issuances), requires every government agency, including SUCs, to maintain an official Service Record (Civil Service Form No. 33) for all personnel, regardless of status. Part-time teachers are expressly covered. The Service Record constitutes prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein and is indispensable for virtually all personnel actions.

B. Contents and Mandatory Entries for Part-Time Teachers

The Service Record must contain, in chronological order:

Full name, date and place of birth, civil status.
Position title: “Part-Time Lecturer/Instructor/Professor” with specification of the department or college.
Status of appointment: “Contract of Service – Part-Time.”
Salary/Honorarium Rate: both monthly equivalent and hourly rate.
Period of service: exact inclusive dates (e.g., “01 August 2024 to 31 January 2025”).
Number of hours per week or total contact hours rendered per semester.
Branch or station: the specific SUC campus.
Remarks column: notation “Part-time – ___ hours/week” and any special conditions (e.g., “Without GSIS coverage”).
Signature and certification by the HRMO and the President of the SUC.

C. Supporting Documents Required

Original or certified copy of the contract or board resolution of appointment.
Certified true copy of the payroll or pay slip for each period.
Class program or teaching load assignment approved by the dean.
Verified Daily Time Record or equivalent attendance sheet.
Clearance from previous SUC (if any) when transferring between institutions.

Failure to attach these documents renders the entry in the Service Record invalid for purposes of crediting experience.

D. Crediting of Service for Future Purposes

Part-time service is fully creditable for:

Qualification standards in promotion to regular plantilla positions (CSC Resolution No. 010113 and subsequent rulings).
Teacher’s eligibility under RA 1080 (if the part-timer holds the requisite license).
Computation of years of teaching experience for salary step placement upon regularization.

For retirement purposes under GSIS, only service during which mandatory contributions were remitted is creditable. Where the part-timer was not enrolled in GSIS, the service may still be recognized by the SUC for internal promotion but not for pension computation unless the teacher later pays the corresponding back contributions under existing GSIS rules on optional coverage.

E. Updating, Correction, and Archival Obligations

The HRMO must update the Service Record within thirty (30) days after the end of each semester or contract period. Any correction requires a formal request supported by affidavits and original documents, approved by the SUC President and noted by the CSC Regional Office. Duplicate copies are issued only upon written request and payment of prescribed fees. Permanent copies are retained by the SUC for at least ten years after separation, in accordance with the National Archives of the Philippines guidelines.

VII. Administrative and Disciplinary Accountability

Falsification or deliberate omission of entries in the Service Record constitutes grave misconduct and may result in dismissal, perpetual disqualification from government service, and criminal prosecution under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code. SUC Presidents and HR officers are solidarity liable for negligent maintenance of records.

VIII. Jurisprudential Support

The Supreme Court has consistently upheld the validity of the 160-hour divisor in University of the Philippines v. Civil Service Commission (G.R. No. 132860, 1999) and related cases, affirming that part-time service must be proportionately compensated and documented. CSC rulings (e.g., CSC Resolution No. 021165) affirm that accurate service records of part-time faculty are indispensable for due process in non-renewal or regularization cases.

IX. Conclusion

The legal architecture for salary determination and service record requirements for SUC part-time teachers rests on the twin pillars of equitable compensation under the SSL and meticulous documentation under CSC rules. Every SUC is duty-bound to apply the standardized hourly computation, maintain complete and accurate Service Records in Civil Service Form No. 33, and preserve all supporting documents. Strict adherence ensures transparency, protects the rights of part-time teachers, safeguards public funds, and upholds the constitutional mandate of quality higher education delivered by a competent and fairly compensated faculty.