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Romero pushes inclusion of private school teachers as Bayanihan 2 aid recipients
Romero pushes inclusion of private school teachers as Bayanihan 2 aid recipients
House Deputy Speaker and 1Pacman partylist Rep. Mikee Romero on Monday batted for the inclusion of private school teachers and personnel in the list of recipients for financial aid being contemplated under the Bayanihan 2 or the proposed We Recover as One Law.
Romero noted that employees and teachers in majority of the country’s private educational institutions are among those who have been reeling from the adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We should have one-time assistance for employees in private schools who, like most of our workers, have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these employees have been without jobs and income as well,” he said.
Romero, whose partylist is among the fiercest advocates of the welfare of the poor sector in society, proposed that private school personnel should also receive the same cash assistance granted by government to lower income families.
Currently, the Department of Social Welfare Development distributes financial assistance ranging from P5,000 to P8,000 under the Bayanihan 1 or We Heal as One Act that Congress passed as a result of the community quarantine triggered by the threat of COVID-19 pandemic.
“We can categorize them as low-income and include the same amount of aid for them in Bayanihan 2, depending on the regions where they are located,” Romero proposed.
The House official pointed out that private school teachers would continue to be without income until classes open in August.
Romero noted that in the case of the more than 700,000 personnel of public schools, they continued to receive salaries during the pandemic.
He said private school employees who had received P5,000 to P8,000 under Bayanihan 1 would no longer get additional assistance if Congress includes such aid in Bayanihan 2.
The Department of Labor and Employment and private schools could be asked to identify potential beneficiaries, he said.
“Our workers in the private education system need our help. Like most of our people, they too are suffering from this pandemic,” Romero said.