Bill seeks to exempt teachers from salary standardization

MANILA, Philippines — A pending bill in the House of Representatives seeks to exempt teachers from the Salary Standardization Law, to ensure they get "adequate remuneration and job fulfillment." House Bill 3742 seeks to increase the teachers' salary level from Grade 10 to 15, and serve as an incentive to prevent them from leaving the country to seek greener pastures abroad. "Through the years and brought by the country's unstable economy, some public school teachers with low income levels would decide to go abroad in search of better pay. This has had an effect in the quality of our education," Rizal Rep. Adelina Rodriguez-Zaldarriaga, one of the authors of the bill, said in a statement on the House of Representatives website (www.congress.gov.ph). Other authors of the bill include Reps. Mark Llandro Mendoza of Batangas and Rex Gatchalian of Valenzuela City. Zaldarriaga cited a constitutional provision where the government must give the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that the teaching profession will attract and retain the best talents. She also cited Republic Act 4670, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, which aims to promote and improve the social and economic situation of these public school educators. Under the measure, increases to be given to public school teachers will differ based on their qualifications and lengths of service. Zaldarriaga expressed hope the measure will "bring back the dignity of our teachers by providing them with the necessary social and economic support that they truly deserve." - GMANews.TV