MANILA, Philippines — Assistant Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Representative France Castro filed House Bill 5990 proposing to  upgrade  the minimum salaries of public school teachers to Salary Grade 15,  teaching personnel in higher education to salary grade 16 and minimum salaries of non-teaching personnel to P16,000.

Castro also filed House Bill 5991  proposing to increase  the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (APERA) granted to government employees to P5,000 from P2,000.

“The struggle for a substantial salary increase for teachers that would provide decent lives for them and their families is far from over. Salaries of teachers have been left behind compared to those professions with similar qualifications and workload since the Duterte administration doubled the salaries of its military and uniformed personnel,” Castro said.

“Teachers are only given increases of a little over P6,000 spread across four years, or about P1,500 annually. This is a far cry from their calls for a substantial increase in salaries since these measly increases given in tranches will only be quickly eaten up away by excise taxes and inflation.”

“President Duterte cannot claim that government does not have money for a substantial salary increase for teachers. This is a matter of budget prioritization. The Duterte administration simply does not prioritize substantially increasing the salaries of its public school teachers and other civilian employees. The 2020 budget of the Duterte administration is a budget for war against its people, prioritizing the military over social services,” Castro said.

“President Duterte has promised teachers many times that he will substantially increase the salaries of government employees especially public school teachers. His promise to double the salaries of teachers fell on the list of failed promises of President Duterte as his administration continues to put the clamor and needs of our public school teachers aside to favor his militarist programs that wages war against its people, a ballooning black budget under the Office of the President and there are still reports of billions for pork insertions in the 2020 budget,” Castro added.

“Even after the full implementation of the Salary Standardization Law V in 2023, the frontliners in education will still be no better off than the police and soldiers in uniform whose salaries swiftly increased by 50% to 100% by the Duterte administration.” (Stacy Ang/IAMIGO/Currentph.com)