By Joseph Almer Pedrajas
Navotas City Rep. John Rey Tiangco has pushed for the passage of a measure seeking to increase the minimum salaries of public school teachers and non-teaching personnel and to give them additional incentives.
Photo courtesy of Rep. John Rey Tangco / MANILA BULLETIN
Through House Bill 877, the city's lone district representative aims to increase the monthly salary of entry-level licensed teachers from P20,754 to P30,531 and of non-teaching personnel from P11,068 to P19,233.
The neophyte congressman also pushed in the 18th Congress to provide them additional incentives through giving P5,000 monthly augmentation pay, P10,000 annual medical allowance and free tuition and registration fees in relevant graduate courses or in continuing their education program in all state colleges and universities.
The said bill covers all teaching and non-teaching personnel in public schools for basic education, whether funded nationally or locally, including those employed in the Philippine Science High School System (PSHS), a report said.
HB 877 also includes teaching and non-teaching staff of the Alternative Learning System (ALS), and all non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) who are not occupying positions with Salary Grade 20 and up.
"Teachers play a significant role in honing the minds of our children, and in shaping their moral character and civic consciousness. It is only imperative that they be compensated adequately, fairly and competitively," Tiangco said.
" affirm the respect due our educators, motivate them to continue their exemplary service, elevate their quality of life, and encourage the best and brightest among our people to enter the teaching profession," he added.
Last Monday, July 1, several members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines trooped to the House of Representatives to call on lawmakers to make salary increase for public school teachers and education workers a “priority” in the 18th Congress.
The group said that, the “current pay of teachers and other rank-and-file employees is unable to cope with the continually rising cost of living.”
“We challenge the newly-elected lawmakers to prioritize teachers’ pay hike, and ensure its immediate enactment,” ACT National chairperson Joselyn Martinez said.
“Ours is a just call which serves the principle of social justice, as it will rightfully raise the standards of living of the millions of employees who make up and actually work to deliver services to the people,” she added.