Teachers’ party-list condemns DepEd proposal on nonbasic wage benefits instead of salary increase

The ACT Teachers Party-list expressed their disappointment on the Department of Education’s (DepEd) plan to give additional benefits to teachers instead of salary increase.

Teachers in the public sector have been left behind by other professions with similar qualifications… It is only just that the government gives our teachers increases in their salaries,

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France L. Castro said on Thursday, July 28.

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DepEd aims to give nonbasic benefits to teachers in place of salary increase

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Castro noted the government’s lack of support in terms of overtime pay and provision of allowances for additional costs required under the blended learning system.

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,

she said.

She further said that the government needs to raise the salary of public school teachers in order to set a standard for private school teachers.

She cited Section 15 of Republic Act 4670, or the Magna Carta for Public School teachers, stating that teachers’ salaries shall compare favorably with those paid in other occupations requiring equivalent or similar qualifications, training and abilities and that they shall be such as to insure teachers a reasonable standard of life for themselves and their families.”

The ACT Teachers Party-list filed House Bill 203 which seeks to upgrade public school teachers’ salary rate and urged the House leadership to pass it into law.