Teachers’ demand: Higher wage for us

‘Quality pay’ for service 

CEBU, Philippines - Commemorating World Teacher’s Day yesterday, public school teachers in Cebu last night staged a candle-lit protest rally to reiterate their demand for salary increase.

Antonia Lim, president of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers in Central Visayas, said there protest was meant to pressure Congress to allocate funds in time for the 2016 National Budget Briefing.

She said they also asked for the immediate passage of House Bill 245 filed by ACT partylist Representative Antonio Tinio that seeks to increase the minimum monthly wage of public school teachers to 25,000 and non-teaching personnel to P15,000.

ACT is an alliance of public school teachers in the country. ACT-7 has 7,000 members, 1,600 of whom are from Metro Cebu. However, only around 50 teachers joined the rally last night.

Lim said teachers seemed to be left behind by the administration’s list of top priorities, saying that it never did implement any salary hike for teachers.

She said the Aquino administration should give the teachers what they deserve, which is quality pay for quality service they give.

“Give us respect through salary increase. Nanawagan mi sa gobiyerno nga patas-an ang suholan sa mga magtutudlo. Lamdagan unta ang president aron mahatagan mi’g prioridad,” she said.

Lim said that at present a public school teacher’s minimum salary level is P18,549 a month, but because of standard deductions, such as withholding tax and premiums for Government Service Insurance System, PhilHealth and Pag-Ibig Fund, they would end up with only about P15,000 as take-home pay.

On top of their salaries, the teachers are receiving a monthly allowance of P2,000; P5,000 in annual clothing allowance; P2,000 as cost-of-living-adjustment allowance for those teaching in cities.

Lim said the salaries they are receiving will not suffice for their daily expenses and other family needs.

 “If we add their monthly expenses for water and electricity, they only have P7,000 to P8,000 for their daily needs such as food, fare, soap for bathing and washing clothes, and clothing,” she said.

 Anabelle Dela Cerna, Teachers’ Dignity Coalition vice president for the Visayas, agreed, saying teachers in the Philippines are not given what is due them.

“Among other professions, teachers are given the least importance. They are susceptible to harassment, not free from aggression and hostilities, and economically deprived,” she said, in a statement.  (FREEMAN)