With rising costs, Cebu City lawmaker wants higher wages, incentives for public school teachers

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CEBU CITY, Philippines – To cushion the impact of inflation, a lawmaker from Cebu City wants to increase the wages as well as allowances of public school teachers in the country.

Cebu City 2nd District Representative Eduardo Rama Jr. has filed a proposal before Congress to raise the salaries of public school teachers. 

“A teacher’s salary must, at the very least, keep pace with the rise in the cost of living,” said Rama in a statement. 

Rama’s proposed bill, House Bill No. 4608, or the ‘Public School Teachers Salary Increase Act’, seeks to elevate the rate of entry-level teachers in public schools from Salary Grade (SG) 11 to SG 17.

This means that if approved, an entry-level teacher in a public school may receive up to P41,508 as a monthly wage. 

Currently, first-time teachers in public schools receive P25,439.

“It is imperative to provide public school teachers with an adequate increase in salary and allowances that meet the rising commodity prices,” the legislator added.

Rama also said the bill seeks to provide additional allowances for public school teachers -P8,000 for school supplies and P10,000 for medical examination and treatment. 

“With this house bill every public school teacher shall also be granted allowances to ensure that the salary increase is exclusively utilized for the public school teacher’s standard of living,” he added. 

According to reports, at least 15 bills were filed in the 19th Congress seeking to increase the salaries of public school teachers. All are pending with the Committee on Appropriations.

/bmjo

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