Party-list to Duterte: Make good with promise to hike teachers' pay

ACT Teachers party-list on Thursday called on President Rodrigo Duterte to make good on his promise to increase the salaries of public school teachers and other government employees.

The fourth and last tranche of salary increases for government workers under Executive Order 201 will be given this year.

“Ilang beses na pangako na ni Pangulong Duterte sa ating mga guro yoong pagtaas ng suweldo na sa tingin natin ay napapanahon na, urgent na urgent na,” ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said.

“Panawagan namin kay Presidente Duterte, tuparin na ang pangako ng pagtaas ng suweldo ng ating mga kaguruan at ating mga kawani ng gobyerno.”

ACT Teacher Rep. Antonio Tinio also criticized the argument of several business groups, as well as the Department of Education, that the salaries of public school teachers are already higher than those of private school teachers'.

“We totally reject this argument benchmarking the salaries of public school teachers to private school teachers. Bakit? Ang problema po sa private schools, malaganap po ang kontraktwalisasyon. Natural, pagka probationary ang mga private school teacher, minimum wage ang binibigay sa kanila,” Tinio argued.

“Ang panawagan ng ACT ay ipantay na sa suweldo ng pulis at sundalo ang suweldo ng public school teachers,” he added. —KBK, GMA News