Palace to teachers: No budget for wage hike this year

MANILA, Philippines — A new school year opens today but public school teachers will have to wait until 2015 for a salary increase.

Presidential Communication Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said Sunday that while the government understands the plight of public school teachers, their demand for a higher pay may not be granted anytime soon because there are no available funds.

Coloma added, however, that the desired wage hike for public school teachers will be reviewed next year.

"Unang-una, nasa gitna na po tayo ng taon at naipasa na 'yung budget na ipinapatupad para sa taong ito, kaya wala pong na-identify na pagkukunan ng pondo ang kanilang hinihingi. Maaari pong pag-aralan para sa pagpapatupad nito sa darating na panahon o sa susunod na taong budget," Coloma said over state-run dzRB.

But at the same time, Coloma said the budget for the Department of Education has been raised by 71 percent — from P195.9 billion in 2010 to P335.4 billion in 2014.

Coloma noted that this is the highest allocation in the budget as required by the Constitutional provision that the state should give priority to education.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) will reportedly stage today a nationally-coordinated protest seeking for a higher pay for public school teachers and non-teaching personnel.

Coloma said the government respects the teachers' right to express their grievances, but he reminded them to continue doing their job.

"Samantala po nananawagan ang ating Department of Education, sa pangunguna ni Brother Armin Luistro, na maging mapag-unawa ang ating mga guro at alalahanin po nila ang kapakanan ng bilyon-bilyong mga kabataan na babalik na sa kanilang pag-aaral," Coloma said.

"At sana po ay patuloy po nilang gampanan ang kanilang mga tungkulin bilang guro nang buong sipag at katapatan na siya pong itinatanghal at ikinararangal ng buong bansang Pilipinas," he added.