TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte – A teachers’ group has called for the passage of a Congressonal bill that sees to increase the salaries of teachers, as it marked the observance of the National Teacher’s Month.
On Friday, Elenito Escalante, ACT Davao Region Union president, said that public school teachers will be happier if Congress hears as soon as possible the pending bills calling for a salary increase among the teachers.
“The teachers are happy for giving recognition to their 24/7 thankless job. However, the molders of the future leaders of our motherland would be happier if their welfare and benefits be given the priority by our government just to meet the basic needs and live decently,” Escalante said.
Escalante added that government must give “priority to basic social services and increase education budget by legislating the House Bill 245 pending in the House of Representatives.”
Sponsored by ACT Partylist Representative Antonio Tinio, House Bill 245, aims to increase the minimum monthly salaries of teaching and non-teaching personnel in public elementary and secondary schools.
Tinio said “the best way of showing gratitude to our teachers would be the upgrading of their salaries.”
Escalante said ACT-Davao is calling for an entry-level salary of public school teachers’ salary from P18,549 to P25,000 while the salaries of senior tenured teachers will be adjusted accordingly.
Loraine Sandoval, 28, a public school teacher, said that “the government could not deny the fact that public school teachers are burdened so much with any sorts of work yet at the end of the day, they know that we are underpaid. If they are concerned with us, then they should act on it.”
An increase will ease their burden of paying high taxes to the government, she said, saying that “teachers are overtax too and it is choking us to death.”
According to ACT-Davao, it was on year 2009 when the last salary adjustment was enacted by the government. The said salary adjustment increased the salary of public school teachers to P6, 523 and pegged at Salary Grade 11 which is equivalent to P18,549.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education kicked off Friday the month-long celebration of the 2014 National Teachers’ Month.
In a statement, DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro said the celebration “aims to give emphasis on the crucial role, loyal service and dedicated commitment of teachers in developing globally-minded citizens, nurturing families, strengthening communities and building the nation.”
In Davao del Norte, DepEd here conduct information activities in both public and private schools to acknowledge the efforts and role of teachers in nation-building.
“It’s high time that teachers will be valued for their untiring work and service and they will be feted on the culmination of World Teachers’ Day on October 5,” DepEd Davao del Norte Superintendent Josephine Fadul told DavaoToday.
President Benigno Aquino III signed Proclamation No. 242 on August 24, 2011 declaring September 5 to October 5 of every year as “National Teachers’ Month.(davaotoday.com)
