Teacher groups call for salary increase during unity walk

MANILA, Philippines — Teacher groups held a unity walk on Friday calling for salary increases in celebration of the World Teachers Day the day after. 

Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Rep. France Castro posted a video message on the Act Teachers Party-List Facebook page ahead of the worldwide celebration calling for the public to support teachers and their invaluable contribution to society. 

In her privilege speech during the 18th congress, Castro said that the coming Saturday should be looked to as a day of protecting and guaranteeing the rights of teachers. 

Concerned groups have held protests on the holiday since 2000, which Castro said greatly contributed to a number of victories for the sector over the years, including “chalk allowance” in 2012 as well as the augmenting of clothing allowance.

She pointed to the joint 1966 document by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which the World Teacher's Day commemmorates annually. 

The landmark document looked to recognize economic, professional, and political rights of the teachers of the ILO and UNESCO member states. It also urges governments that “the social security protection of teachers should take account of their particular conditions of employment.”

Recommendations such as this are not legally binding and are not subject to ratification into law. Member states of the two organizations, however, are obliged to familiarize themselves with the recommendations outlined in the document. 

"The struggle for substantial salary increase therefore still remains," Castro asserted. "[W]e are again answered with the usual excuses of 'no budget' and 'salaries are already comparable to those in the private sector.'"

"[K]ung may budget sa pork, higanteng construction contracts, at militaristang pamahalaan, mas dapat may budget para sa mga guro at kawani, sa edukasyon, at batayang karapatan," she argued.

(If there is budget for pork, giant construction contracts and militaristic governance, all the more there should be budget for teachers and staff, for education, and fundamental rights.)

Calling for a concrete proposal for a three-tranche salary increase, she expressed dismay over the president's series of conditional vetoes in April's General Appropriations Act which included, among others, the grant of allowance and benefits of teachers. 

The representative also cried foul over the continuous red-tagging by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict against teachers. 

"[S]peak with any teacher, and she or he will say, “Having a day with our name on it is good. But turning the ideals of that day into reality will be even better,” she said in her speech. 

"Indeed, no one could truly say that teachers are given high status where their salaries, benefits, working conditions, and socio-political situation attest to the contrary."

In closing her speech, Castro said, "The genuine celebration of teachers is honoring their rights and addressing their economic, social, and political struggles."

The Department of Education celebrated National Teacher's Month from September 5 to October 5, with the last day being National Teacher's Day. This year's iteration will celebrate the theme "Gurong Pilipino: Handa sa Makabagong Pagbabago."