As Labor Day nears, teachers and employees in public schools and state colleges and universities (SUCs) reiterate their demand for the realization of President Duterte’s promise of salary increase before his term ends.

In a virtual press conference organized by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on Friday, April 16, the educators called for higher salaries anew noting the “growing restiveness” among teaching and non-teaching personnel as their economic hardships continue to mount amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic situation in the country.

ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio said that President Duterte is “running out of time” to fulfill his campaign promise to education workers. “Now is the time to act on upgrading teachers’ salaries so that it can see legislation before his term of office ends, otherwise, his administration is sure to sustain a heavy political backfire,” he added.

Basilio alleged that the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) V enacted by the President in 2020 - which granted an increase of P1,562 in the monthly basic pay of teachers for four years - “did nothing to alleviate the dire situation” of education workers nationwide.

“The paltry salary adjustments of SSL V are clearly a scam as the increases only reverted to the government in the form of increased income taxes and mandatory contributions to PhilHealth and GSIS,” Basilio said.

Basilio also noted that the Duterte government’s “continuing failure to fulfil its promise” to teachers only underscores its lack of appreciation to the great sacrifices of education workers to ensured education continuity amid the pandemic.

“Our education workers stake their pocket, life and limb to deliver the basic service of education to millions as learners, they sacrifice the family budget and risk contracting COVID-19 just so that learning continues - where’s the appreciation of the government? ” Basilio asked.

Given the “billions of public funds that it squanders away on its dirty wars and projects that only benefit foreign interests,” Basilio said that the government has the capacity to grant education workers with substantial salary increase.

Thus, ACT urged the President to immediately “certify as urgent” numerous bills filed in the Lower House and Senate that seek to upgrade teachers’ and education support personnel’s salaries.

In particular, ACT called for a four-level upgrading of teachers salaries: from salary grade 11 to 15 for Teacher I; and from salary grade 12 to 16 for college instructor I.

They are also demanding for the raising of the basic pay of non-teaching personnel from the current P12,034 to P16,000 monthly.

ACT has been urging the President to fulfill his promise to “double” the salaries of teachers after the administration increased the salaries of military personnel, police and nurses.