DepEd chief Briones: I'm not against salary increase of public school teachers

Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Briones has denied that she is against increasing the salaries of public school teachers.

"It is not true that I am against the salary increase of our public school teachers," Briones said in a statement dated June 6.

"As Education Secretary, and as an advocate, I am committed to the policy to promote and improve the social and economic status of public school teachers, their living and working conditions, and their terms of employment," she added.

Briones vowed that the next salary increase for teachers would come.

Under the last tranche of wage hikes for government workers, which was implemented by President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this year, a professional with a rank of Teacher 1 receives an increase of P500 while a Master Teacher 3 is entitled to a P4,000 salary increase.

Briones said she was misunderstood when she bared the considerations that need to be taken into account in making the decision on increasing the salary of teachers.

The DepEd chief earlier said raising a teacher's pay by P10,000 a month would cost the government P150 billion.

Briones underscored that she has been working with the economic team of the government to find measures to increase the salary of more or less 830,000 teachers.

"Last year, when this was taken up in the Cabinet, the decision was to allow the fourth and last tranche of the SSL this year, and for DBM to come up with a study on how to effect the next salary increase," Briones said.

"The next salary increase is presently under discussion," she added.

According to Briones, the fiscal impact of the salary increase should be considered and assessed, and that there is an equity issue in relation to issues of other government personnel that need to be addressed.

Briones also noted that the salaries of public school teachers have already improved.

"The salaries of public school teachers have already overtaken the salaries of those in private school, resulting in the migration of private school teachers to the public schools," Briones said.

"There have been serious efforts to uplift teachers’ conditions that the public should also be made aware of," she added.

An entry-level public school teacher earns P20,754 a month with P2,000 worth of Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA), a monthly allowance granted to government employees due to rising cost of living, according to the DepEd.

She also assured the public that she has been visiting schools across the country to see the situation of teachers.

"Yes, there are limitations, yet these do not stop us from sharing music, dance, laughter, and the joy and pride of teaching," Briones said. — MDM, GMA News