Teachers to get salary increase

SOME 500 night high school teachers paid by the Cebu City Government have every reason to be happy after Mayor Michael Rama promised to increase their salaries.

Rama said teachers shouldn’t be forgotten and should receive what is due them, such as salary increase.

“Ang mga maestra dili gyud nato angayang kalimtan, pangitaan nato ug paagi para mapun-an nato ilang sweldo (We will look for ways to increase their salaries),” Rama said.

There are 350 contractual and 130 part-time night high school teachers who are paid by the City Government at P100 per hour.

Contractual teachers used to receive P12,000 a month for their six-hour actual teaching per day.

Councilor Joey Daluz, who chairs the city’s scholarship committee, proposes a P6,000 increase per month for the contractual teachers.

He wants the earnings of the night high school teachers to be level with the salaries
of the regular teachers (Teacher 1) who are receiving P19,099 monthly.

As to the part-time teachers, the increase will be added to the rate per hour, which will also total to P6,000 per month.

Daluz said they need P30 million for the salary increase of the contractual and part-time teachers.

Extension classes

The city, however, has at least a P200-million allocation for the Special Education Fund (SEF) this year, which can be used for the extension classes.

The night high school program of the city aims to decongest classrooms of public day high schools and provide opportunities to working students to earn a high school diploma.

There are 26 night high schools in the city, with a total population of 18,901 students. This is 39 percent of the total enrollment in the public secondary schools.

City Schools Division Superintendent Rhea Mar Angtud welcomed the news.

Good news

“Kahibawo gyud ko nga mangalipay pud tong mga teachers nato sa night high school kung makahibalo sila sa good news (I know our night high school teachers will be happy with the news),” Angtud said.

It was Angtud who requested the City to raise the salaries of night high school teachers, who receive smaller salaries compared to regular teachers.

Aside from their salaries, contractual and part-time night high school teachers have no other perks, while the regular teachers receive allowances, bonuses and other benefits.

Rama said if they have the money to pay for the additional benefits of the night high school teachers, then they will also give it to them.

Daluz said they will prioritize the salary increase and the other benefits will follow.

Daluz said the salary increase for the night high school teachers in the City must be given in a month or two.