MANILA, Sept. 25 (PNA) — A lawmaker has filed a bill granting public school teachers an additional monthly allowance of PHP2,000 in a bid to motivate them to continue giving quality education to students in public schools.
Rep. Mercedes C. Cagas (1st District, Davao del Sur) said the PHP2,000 additional monthly allowance provided under House Bill 6023 shall be without prejudice to any salary increase or adjustment that public school teachers may be granted in the future.
Cagas said there is a need to provide an additional monthly allowance of PHP2,000 as a financial incentive for public school teachers considering the work load they have, the amount of time and effort they spend and exert for the children, and the professionalism and knowledge they share and impart to uplift the country’s education.
“It is but fitting and proper to give our public school teachers the financial incentive they truly deserve. This will motivate our public school teachers to continue giving quality education to our children in public schools,” Cagas said.
The lawmaker said the heart of the educational system lies with the school teachers, who educate the country’s future, the youth.
In filing the measure, Cagas cited paragraph 5, Section 5, Article XIV of the Constitution which provides that “The State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.”
Cagas said the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers provides that teachers’ salaries shall compare favorably with those paid in other occupations requiring equivalent or similar qualifications, training and abilities and they shall be such as to ensure teachers a reasonable standard of living for themselves and their families.
Cagas said while the increase of salary would have been the best and ideal measure to help alleviate the plight of public school teachers, the government has yet to take a significant step towards this direction because of budgetary constraints, considering there are more than 700,000 public school teachers in the country today.
Under the measure, the Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations.
The amount necessary for the initial implementation of this Act shall be sourced from the savings of the Office of the President and shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.(PNA)