“It’s about time lawmakers manifest their nationalist character before their term ends by casting their votes to approve the 9,000-peso salary increase of public school teachers,” said Gabriela solon Luzviminda Ilagan, author of House Bill 4734, providing for additional compensation for public school teachers.
Beneficiaries of this proposed law include all public school teachers, whether nationally or locally funded, including non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education, but excluding those occupying positions from salary grade level 30.
Rep Ilagan said that the teachers are supposed to receive a family wage of P882 per day or P19,404 per month as determined by the National Wages and Productivity Commission. “But, this salary level has suffered a six-year moratorium under Arroyo’s administration while inflation has continuously raised prices of basic commodities.” she said.
“Teachers have been impoverished for so long. Studies show that most teachers’ take home pay is less than 5,000 pesos after mandatory deductions. If aware of their plight, each representative should take a stand in providing them just compensation,” Ilagan added.
HB 4734 provides the additional compensation of 9,000 pesos per month to the existing salary and benefits of the teaching and non-teaching personnel. The proposed increase shall be paid in three equal parts, or 3,000 pesos per month for the first year of implementation plus 3,000 pesos per month for the second year, and another 3,000 pesos per month for the third year. In the succeeding years, the full amount of 9,000 pesos per month shall be received by the beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, an alternative proposal of the House of Representatives is the proposed salary standardization law 3 or Joint Resolution No. 24, urging the president to modify the compensation and position classification system in the government. This Joint Resolution reduces the proposed salary increase to 6,000 pesos and is undergoing intense debates in the technical working group.
The militant solon has emphatically stressed that the 9,000 pesos salary increase is what the teachers need and a lesser amount will just be a token response to a long-standing and pressing call of the most exploited and suffering sector of the bureaucracy. #
Reference:
Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan – 0920-9213221
Lorie Ann Cascaro, Public Information Officer – 0908-9237212
