STATEMENT BY HONORABLE RON P. SALO
KABAYAN Party-list Assistant Majority Leader
OCTOBER 5 IS NATIONAL TEACHERS’ DAY (RA 10743)
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS ALSO DESERVE A PAY HIKE NOW LIKE COPS & SOLDIERS
Noting that Malacanang endorsed last September 20, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) draft asking Congress to authorize, via joint resolution, the increase in the pay of military and uniformed personnel (
http://www.dbm.gov.ph/?page_id=21932), I now take the cudgels for public school teachers and other DepEd personnel, who also deserve a pay hike now.
In House Bill 3698, I proposed that the lowest salary grade of public school teachers be raised from Salary Grade 11 (P19,620 per month) to Salary Grade 15 (P27,565 per month) and that adjustments for salary levels for all corresponding plantilla positions be made over the course of five years.
http://www.congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/basic_17/HB03698.pdf If the pay of soldiers, police, and other uniformed personnel will be raised, then the pay of public school teachers should also be raised now.
As the prime instruments in honing the young minds, public school teachers are considered to be the heart of the educational system. However, they receive a basic salary that is not commensurate to the value of their roles in Philippine society and the amount of work they do.
An income of P19,620 basic pay per month is inadequate to help them sustain their needs and that of their families, especially considering the rising cost of living. No wonder, many public school teachers and DepEd personnel are saddled with salary loans. Banks and other lending institutions even have loan programs designed for them or with them in mind.
I note that in the proposed 2018 national budget, the Duterte administration raised to P6,000.00 from P4,000.00 the net take-home pay (NTHP) limit that authorized salary deductions in government personnel salaries cannot violate or cross. This NTHP limit is provided in Section 46 of the proposed GAA general provisions.
https://goo.gl/CnNdRJAs we celebrate the National and World Teachers’ Day on October 5, I urge my colleagues in Congress to urgently tackle House Bill 3698 so that it can be enacted soon.
The salary of public school teachers must be raised now in order to attract the brightest graduates of best colleges and universities to teach in our public schools. Many of them seek better opportunities abroad. Those currently teaching lack the motivation to pursue further education and improve their skills.
An increase in the salary of teachers is a fitting tribute to them in our celebration of National Teacher’s Day. For indeed, other than accolades and praises, our teachers need a more concrete evidence of our gratefulness to them for their contributions to our society - higher salaries to make them capable of a more dignified existence.
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