Following incoming Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Senator Sonny Angara’s expression of full support for the proposed salary increase for public school teachers and government employees, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines calls on Sen. Angara to conduct dialogues and consultations with ACT and its accredited unions to discuss its demands for substantial salary increase, particularly the call for P50,000 entry-level pay for teachers and P33,000 for SG1 employees.
“We appreciate Senator Angara’s recognition of the need to uplift the salaries of our teachers citing its positive effect to the quality of education delivery and we hope that his support translates into action.
We call on Sen. Angara to work with us and engage in thorough consultations to secure a significant salary increase for teachers—an approach that was neglected by his predecessor during her two-year term as DepEd secretary. We have long called for a salary increase that will close the gap between teachers’ salaries and the cost of living and to correct the distortion in the government salary scheme where teacher’s pay lag behind those of other professions with the same qualifications,” urged Raymond Basilio, ACT Secretary-General.
“As the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, we have seen his legislative efforts to propose substantial salary hikes for teachers and government employees, and we hope that he brings the same vigor in his new role to push for our salary and education demands,” Basilio added.
ACT also urged Sen. Angara to take bold actions in pushing for the doubling of education budget to address the massive shortages and backlogs in basic education needs, reviewing and overhauling the curriculum, and ensuring the protection of labor and democratic rights of teachers and education workers. (ALLIANCE OF CONCERNED TEACHERS-PHILIPPINES)
