Monday, October 06, 2008 Teachers to sign manifesto over pay hike
THE Department of Education (DepEd) along with various teacher organizations will sign this week a manifesto calling for the speedy passage of House Bill (HB) 4734, which pushed for their P9,000 salary increase.
Once signed by public school teachers and non-teaching personnel, DepEd undersecretary for legal affairs Franklin Sunga said they will forward it to the Congress as an expression of commitment to upgrade their salaries.
"I suggested for the Teachers' Day that a manifesto be made to be given to the House of Representatives for the across-the-board allowance increase of P9,000, stating that we support the bill," Sunga said.
The Teachers' Day is October 5, but it will be celebrated today, Monday, since the date falls on a Sunday.
Even teacher organizations and groups have committed to signing the manifesto, according to Sunga.
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, for his part, supports the signing of the manifesto.
He said: "Education must be restored to its noble pedestal as a preferred career. The cream of the crop should become the teachers of our youth. This can only happen if teachers are given the pay and respect they deserve, equal to present top paid career personnel."
Earlier, the Senate has passed on third reading Senate Bill (SB) 2408, which gives an additional P9,000 to teachers in three equal tranches until 2010. However, the Lower House is yet to deliberate on the matter.
The Senate version was authored by Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Eduardo Angara, and Ramon Revilla.
Sunga said they expect the pay hike bill to be passed by the House before the end of the year.
Non-teaching personnel of the agency immediately took notice of the move and expressed support.
"If ratified by the House, this will be a big help to the DepEd family for both the teaching and non-teaching personnel like us," said Louisa Roberto, Management and Audit Analyst IV and Officer in charge of the Management and Audit Division of DepEd.
Militant teachers groups, such as the Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) and the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), have already conducted rallies before the Congress calling for the immediate passage of the bill.
Others supportive of the bill include: the Quezon City Public School Teachers' Federation, Caloocan Public School Teachers' Association, Valenzuela Public Elementary School Teachers' Federation, Samahan ng mga Guro sa mga Mataas na Paaralan ng Navotas, Mandaluyong Federation of Public School Teachers' Associations, Makati Public School Teachers' Association, Muntinlupa Federation of Public Elementary and Secondary Teachers' Association, Federation of Pasig Public School Teachers and Personnel, Taguig-Pateros Public School Teachers' Association, and Pasay City Federation of Public School Teachers.
TDC chairman Benjo Basas said there is really a need to upgrade the salary of the teachers considering the high prices of basic commodities.
At present, the basic salary of teachers is at P10,000 monthly.
But the group contends that with inflation, teachers are unable to cope with the prices of basic commodities forcing many of them to do additional job and even borrow from "shark loans" to make both ends meet.
Citing the latest data provided by the National Statistics Coordinating Board (NSCB), Basas said the poverty threshold for Metro Manila is pegged at P10,000.
The amount, however, covers only basic necessities like food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.
The statistics also showed that for a family of six, the minimum living wage should be at P870 a day.
Basas meanwhile said they are for the Senate-proposed P9,000 increase.
Under the bill, teachers and education personnel will get an additional pay of P9,000 per month to be paid in full within three years at P3,000 per month increase each year.
The total increase will make teachers' pay at par with those received by uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The Salary Standardization Act provides for a uniformed pay scale for government employees, including teachers.
Recently, however, lawmakers are pushing for the approval of a measure that exempts teachers from the salary standardization law to provide adequate remuneration and job fulfillment.
DepEd has been actively lobbying for the passage of HB 4734 and its counterpart SB 2408 giving additional compensation to public school teachers. (AH/Sunnex)
