📷: Alliance of Concerned Teachers / FB
ACT Teachers Representative and Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio today condemned the recently approved Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARSc) budget amendments as a grave insult to the nation’s teachers and government workers, made more egregious as the country celebrates World Teachers’ Day.
Tinio lambasted the House subcommittee for carving out an additional Php 77.86 billion in discretionary, pork-type funds while simultaneously rejecting the long-overdue and substantial increase in the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) for state employees. This comes on the heels of the violent dispersal of protesting teachers just yesterday.
“This is the ultimate insult. Our teachers were not only manhandled and beaten on the streets yesterday for demanding salary increase and better conditions, but in the halls of Congress, they are being told their pleas are worth less than political pork,” Tinio stated. “Habang dinadahas at pinupukpok ang mga guro sa labas, binubusog naman ang mga bulsa ng mga gahaman sa loob.”
He emphasized the stark contrast in priorities: while billions are being funneled into opaque infrastructure lump sums and cash assistance programs vulnerable to patronage, the meager proposed increase of Php 500 in monthly PERA—after 17 years of stagnation—was left unfunded. The budget for the House of Representatives’ own operations, meanwhile, saw a staggering Php 5-billion increase.
“Napakaraming pondo para sa pork barrel, ngunit wala raw pondo para sa PERA ng mga guro at kawani ng gobyerno? This is not a matter of scarcity; it is a matter of twisted, anti-people priorities,” Tinio declared. “Ang pagdiriwang ng World Teachers’ Day ay dapat pagpupugay sa kanilang sakripisyo, hindi panibagong pagpapahirap sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggi sa kanilang makatarungang benepisyo.”
Tinio detailed the breakdown of the pork-type amendments: DOH Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), Php 24.97 billion; DSWD Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), Php 25.81 billion; Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk, Php 10 billion; DOLE TUPAD, Php 5 billion; House of Representatives, Php 5 billion; Local Government Support Fund, Php 4.09 billion; DPWH, Php 11.49 billion; and DA farm-to-market roads, Php 4.96 billion.
The Php 77.86 billion in pork-type amendments represents 67% of all amendments approved by the subcommittee. Tinio noted that these funds were approved without detailed itemization, lacking transparency on specific projects, locations, or proponents.
“They feast on pork while our teachers starve for dignity and a decent living. They allocate billions for discretionary funds that can be used to consolidate political power, but cannot find the funds to uplift the very people who build the nation’s future,” he said.
The lawmaker warned that these amendments, funded by yet undisclosed cuts elsewhere in the budget, would inevitably come at the expense of essential public services like education and healthcare. “Ang pondo para sa PERA, sa karagdagang mga guro at health worker, at sa mga silid-aralan—iyan ang dapat unahin, hindi ang pondo sa pagpaparami ng pork barrel.”
On this World Teachers’ Day, Tinio called on his colleagues in Congress to reject the BARSc amendments and realign the budget to serve the people. He also called on teachers and the Filipino people to be ever vigilant and guard the people’s money.
“The best tribute to our teachers is not empty rhetoric, but concrete action. Ipanalo ang makatarungang sahod at benepisyong kanilang ipinaglalaban. Ibaling ang pondo ng bayan sa mga serbisyong panlipunan at sa mga naglilingkod sa bayan, hindi sa bulsa ng mga pulitiko,” he concluded.#
