ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro (Facebook)

Following the passage of Republic Act (RA) No. 11997, or the “Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act", ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro says the government’s next step should be to increase teachers’ salaries.

In a statement, Castro said the teaching supplies allowance was a “welcome development” but should be treated as “only a first step” in raising the standards of the teaching profession in the country.

Signed by President Marcos on Monday, June 3, this new legislation aims to provide a P7,500 allowance per teacher starting the school year 2024 to 2025, and P10,000 each for the subsequent school years.

“The next logical step is to increase the salaries of our teachers, who have been left behind for far too long," Castro said.

“We owe it to them to provide a decent salary that reflects their value to society," she added.

Castro, a House deputy minority leader, pointed out that salaries of teachers have been stagnant for years. 

This is unlike the salaries of top government officials, such as those working in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which she said have ballooned to obscene levels.

"It is unacceptable that BSP executives enjoy lavish salaries, while our teachers are forced to live on a meager salary that is way below the poverty line. It's time for the government to prioritize the welfare of our teachers, who are the backbone of our education system," the lady awmaker noted.

Castro is pushing for the upgrade of teachers’ basic salaries to P50,000 entry-level pay in both public and private educational institutions.

She is also advocating for a P33,000 national minimum wage, P33,000 for salary grade 1 employees, and a salary grade 16 for Instructor 1 in state universities and colleges (SUCs), which is around P39,000.

"The government cannot continue to neglect the welfare of our teachers. It's time for a significant salary increase for teachers and other public sector employees,” she stressed.