Teachers ask for support to bill raising their wages

CEBU – A Manila-based coalition of teachers is asking for the support of their counterparts in Cebu to help pressure congressmen and senators to approve the pending bill that seeks to increase the public school teachers’ monthly basic salary by P9,000.

Benjo Nasas, national chairman of the Teachers Dignity Coalition, said the existing P12,000 monthly salary of the public school teachers is much lesser compared to what is said by the National Economic Development Authority that a family living in a major city, such as Cebu City and Metro Manila, needs P21,000 income.

The Teachers Dignity Coalition was organized by public school teachers of the Philippine Normal University in 2006, later other teachers joined the group battling for teachers’ rights and welfare.

Nasas said many public school teachers have switched to other jobs because they can no longer survive with their meager salaries.

There were reports that some public school teachers decided to sideline by selling food in their respective classrooms, although this is not allowed in some schools.

Other teachers also accept tutorial services after their classes and go home late just to have extra income.

In Cebu, some teachers of the Florencio Urot Memorial National High School supported the call of the coalition as they attended the launching of the campaign yesterday at the University of San Carlos-North Campus.

Printed materials in Cebuano and English distributed during the event read: “Usa ka hugot nga panginahanglan ang paghimo og hiniusang panawagan para sa usbaw sa suhulan. Dugay na kitang nakigbisog para sa makatarunganong suhulan nga makahatag og disenteng pagpuyo kanato ug sa atong mga pamilya.”

Nasas said several bills have been filed before Congress seeking for an increase in public school teachers’ salaries but these were not given attention.

The coalition welcomed the filing of Senate Bill 2408 sponsored by Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano, chairman of the Senate committee on education, that sought the increase of teachers’ wages. — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)