Sen. Gatchalian suggests to increase teachers' allowance for school supplies

On Wednesday, Senate Committee on Basic Education chair Sherwin Gatchalian said that a portion of the P165-billion fund under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or known as Bayanihan 2 should be used to increase teachers' allowance for school supplies.

Photo credit: rappler.com

Gatchalian said that under the bayanihan 2, a P4 billion is earmarked for digital education, information technology, digital infrastructure, and alternative learning modalities.

Ako suggestion ko ibuhos na lang natin sa digital e-learning for our teachers kasi kailangan nila bumili ng mga gadgets, kailangan nilang load and data plan,

he said.

[I suggest we just pour in the digital e-learning for our teachers because they need to buy gadgets, they need load and data plan,]

Kasi kung magpri-print pa tayo ng self-learning modules, kaya na 'yan ng mga local [governments],"

he said.

[The local government can do the printing of self-learning modules.] 

Gatchalian said that the Department of Education (DepEd) is still in the process of deciding where to use the fund. That is why he and other senators are pushing for a bill that would increase teachers' allowance for supplies. However, the chamber has yet to finalize how much would be added to the current P3,500 teachers receive annually.

For now, DepEd said each teacher would receive the following benefits this year aside from the allowance for supplies:

Annual medical examination : P500

Hazard pay : P500 per day for working in areas under ECQ, MECQ

World Teacher's Day incentive:  P1,000

The Education department has also partnered with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp (PhilHealth) to ensure that a special health insurance package would be given to educators who would be infected with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, teachers' allowance was last increased in 2018, when the national government raised it by P1,000.

Senator Gatchalian said teachers would need a bigger amount this year since they would have to spend on technological subscriptions to adapt to distance/blended learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.