Teachers press for just, decent salary

Officials of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers will hold a rally to lobby for an increase of salary for teachers and non-teaching personnel. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

About a year ago, Kristel Tejada took her own life for not being able to pay her tuition in the University of the Philippines in Manila.

To mark the anniversary of her death, public school teachers under the local chapter of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT)  will join a nationally coordinated action for a “just and decent” salary and for higher state subsidy for education today.

Article XIV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that the government should allocate the highest budgetary priority to education and that salaries for teachers must give them “satisfaction and fulfillment.”

“The current pay scheme of government fails to fulfill these criteria. Salaries of public school teachers do not compare favorably with other occupations in government,” said ACT-7 president Antonia Lim.

She said a duly licensed professional, entry-level Teacher I earns P18,549 a month which is “substantially less than a high school graduate” who enters the Philippine Military Academy as a cadet who receives a monthly salary of P21,709 a month.

“The situation has obviously pushed some of our best teachers out of the country to seek better pay and working conditions. There is a huge gap in salary levels of teachers in the country compared with those abroad. For example, Filipino teachers who choose to practice their profession in the United States receive annual salaries ranging from P1.5 million to P2.1 million.

While an entry-level teacher I receives P241,137 annually,” Lim added.

ACT-7 will simultaneously hang tarpaulins calling for the increase in the salaries of teaching and non-teaching staff in five schools in Cebu City. These will be in Abellana National School, Don Carlos Gothong High School, Mabolo Elementary School, Don Vicente Rama Memorial National High School and Guadalupe Elementary School.

They will also launch signature campaigns to call the attention of national government officials, including the President and appeal to local government officials to support their call to increase their salaries and to increase the budget for education to six percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

There is a pending House Bill 245 filed by ACT Teachers Partylist representative Antonio Tinio seeking to increase the minimum monthly salaries of teachers to P25,000 and of non-teaching personnel from P9,000 to P15,000.

The group will also be holding consultative meetings on the HB 245 in Negros Oriental, Guihulngan City, Tanjay City, Bais City, Dumaguete City, Bayawan City, Danao City, Cebu and Bohol provinces all throughout the month of March starting tomorrow.

“By increasing our salaries, we can feel how important we are as teachers who are shaping the minds of our youth,” Lim said.