City Government increases teachers' allowance

ZAMBOANGA City Government's allocation for public school teachers' allowances will be raised from over P20 million to P35 million.

The allocation is now included in the 2010 Supplemental Budget set to be approved by the City Council anytime soon.

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Mayor Celso Lobregat said the budget increase in teachers' allowances is only one of the education-related programs of the City Government aimed at helping improve the quality of education and ensuring better future for the young Zamboanguenños.

Lobregat said this more than P10 million increase will translate to a P200 increase in the present P500 monthly allowances per teacher.

From 1995 to 2005, teachers received P200 per month. It was increased to P300 and further increased to P500.

Starting this year, through the sound fiscal management, teachers will be receiving P700 per month, Lobregat said.

From 2007 to 2010, Lobregat said the City Government has spent roughly over P600 million for education-related projects, an unparalleled feat in the history of the Zamboanga City local government administration.

Lobregat said the City Government has to assist and support public education in this city since waiting for the Department of Education (DepEd) to supply all the requirements for the different public and elementary schools would take a lot of time.

"If we rely on the budget of the DepEd, we can't solve the problem of the schools," Lobregat explained.

Just last week, Lobregat attended a series of turnover programs of school building projects in time for the opening of school year 2010-2011 next week.

Among those projects unveiled by the local government are: two school building projects costing P6.4 million at the Cawit Elementary School; a two-storey eight-classroom building worth P7.4 million at the Maasin Learning Center; and three school building projects--two for the Sangali Elementary School and one for the Sangali National High School worth P12.4 million. (Bong Garcia)