PUBLIC school teachers are expecting a larger take-home pay and allowances starting this month.
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones said an increase in salaries for public school teachers is expected following the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law.
In Central Visayas, at least 50,000 public school teachers are expected to benefit from the salary and allowance increase.
In a statement, Briones said with the implementation of the Train law and third tranche of the Salary Standardization Law of 2015 in effect, those with Teacher 1 positions are expected to receive a gross basic salary of P20,179 and will have a net take-home pay of P20,012.89, including personal economic relief allowance (Pera).
Under the 2017 tax schedule, a Teacher 1 receives a starting basic salary of P19, 620, with a take home pay of P17, 220, including Pera.
Increased allowances
With the Train law, there is total net increase of 16.21 percent, or P2,792.03, added to a teacher’s salary per month, Briones said.
Aside from their basic salaries, Briones said that teachers are expected to see an increase in their “chalk allowance” from P2,500 to P3,500.
The annual “chalk allowance” is allotted for the purchase of chalks, erasers and other classroom supplies and materials.
Their clothing allowance will also increase from P5,000 to P6,000, Briones added.
In a separate interview, DepEd 7 public information officer Amaryllis Villarmia said they expect the salary increase to be implemented by Jan. 15.
Villarmia said that aside from teaching personnel, salaries of non-teaching personnel are also expected to go up.
Some teachers in Cebu, though, are apprehensive if the “increases” will truly make a difference.
Arturo, a public school teacher in Cebu City, told SunStar Cebu that while their withholding tax will be returned to them as salaries, it will still be not enough to offset the expected rise in the prices of commodities.
“Wala man gihapoy increase nga na-feel namo kay musaka man gihapon ang presyo sa gasolina. Kung muincrease baya ang presyo sa gasolina, increase sad na tanan,” said Arturo, who asked not to be named.
Another public school teacher, Maria, urged the DepEd to increase their Pera rather than their salaries because their allowances aren’t taxable. “The money we’ll be getting will still be our salary. They just did away with the withholding tax,” she added.