ACT solon takes jab at DepEd over preference for non-wage hike benefits for teachers

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro hit the Department of Education's immediate plan to grant non-wage benefits to teachers, saying both public and private school teachers deserve a pay hike.

"Teachers in the public sector have been left behind by other professions with similar qualifications.  They have been at the frontline in delivering education despite the lack of support from the government, using money from their own pockets to provide learning materials, ensuring they have internet connection for the blended learning modalities, and reporting for work despite the stingy DepEd for additional compensation for overtime work," Castro said in a statement.

"We are deeply disappointed and concerned over the pronouncement of the Department of Education yesterday that upgrading the salaries of teachers in the public school is not their priority. For the longest time, the government has been denying public school teachers salary increases by pitting their salaries against teachers in the private sector, which is wrong because most private school teachers are paid at very low rates, even near-starvation salaries. It is only just that the government gives our teachers increases in their salaries," she added.

Castro was responding to the announcement made by Education Department spokesperson Michael Poa who said that the salaries of public school teachers have already been increasing since the Salary Standardization Law took effect in 2019, with the last tranche taking effect in 2023.

"If we make it too high, it will really affect the private sector kasi lilipat 'yung mga teachers on the private sector to the government. Or, baka hindi kayanin ng private sector tapatan, baka magsara yung private sector. But in saying that, naririnig naman po ni Vice President-Secretary [Sara Duterte] 'yung hinaing ng mga teachers," Poa said during Tuesday's press conference.

"That’s why what we will be doing is that we will be looking into non-basic wage benefits that we can give them para naman madagdagan yung take home nila," he added.

"Right now, there are several allowances basically that we are looking into, either overload ng teaching load, all those things. I don’t want to preempt whatever ‘yung pag-aaral na gagawin do’n sa non-basic wage benefits. At least for the immediate ano, that is the thrust. ‘Yun muna ‘yung titignan natin para matugunan ‘yung mga teachers," Poa said.

(I don't want to preempt whatever the discussion will be on the non-basic wage benefits. For the meantime, that is the thrust. That's what we'll look at first to help the teachers.)

Poa said Duterte is also planning to upskill the teachers and ease their administrative work. To do so, DepEd is eyeing to hire more non-teaching staff to help the teachers with their tasks.

Castro, however, invoked Section 15 of Republic Act 4670 or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, which sets the criteria for salaries:

• they shall compare favorably with those paid in other occupations requiring equivalent or similar qualifications, training and abilities;
• they shall be such as to insure teachers a reasonable standard of life for themselves and their families; and
• they shall be properly graded so as to recognize the fact that certain positions require higher qualifications and greater responsibility than others: Provided, however, That the general salary scale shall be such that the relation between the lowest and highest salaries paid in the profession will be of reasonable order. Narrowing of the salary scale shall be achieved by raising the lower end of the salary scales relative to the upper end

"Salaries of public school teachers should set the standard for salaries in the private school, not the other way around. We remind the Department of Education that additional allowances do not equate to the demand of our teachers for salary increase. Allowances are welcome but they are meant to support the daily task of our teachers for them to be able to perform their duties," Castro said.

Castro has already filed House Bill 203 or An Act Upgrading the Salary Levels of Public School Teachers to Salary Grade 15 and Teaching Personnel in Higher Education to Salary Grade 16, and Increasing the Salaries of Non-Teaching Personnel to P16,000 and House Bill 562 An Act Increasing the Minimum Salaries of Private School Teachers to P30,000 per Month.

"These are part of our priority measures that reflect the demands of our teachers in both the public and private sector. We urge the House leadership to pass these bills into law," Castro said.

"Teachers are demanding adequate salary increases and additional benefits that would support them in their performance of their duties. Both should be prioritized by the government. If the government wants quality teachers to deliver quality education, it should also give our teachers quality salaries that will adequately compensate them for the work and service they provide and allow them to live decent lives away from loans," she added. — RSJ, GMA News