Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday thanked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the “wonderful holiday gift” for public school teachers and non-teaching staff.

This after Marcos ordered to increase the Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) of public school teachers to PHP20,000 from PHP18,000 in recognition of their sacrifices.

The SRI is a yearly financial incentive granted to government employees to recognize their commitment and dedication to quality and responsive public service.

“Malaking tulong ito sa ating mga guro at kawani para sa kanilang paghahanda para sa kapaskuhan at sa pagsalubong ng bagong taon. Napakagandang regalo nito ng ating administrasyon na kinikilala ang sakripisyo at serbisyo ng ating mga kaguruan (It’s a huge help for our teachers and personnel in preparation for Christmas and New Year. This is a very wonderful gift from the administration which honors the sacrifices and services of our educators),” Angara said in a statement.

“We thank President Marcos Jr. for his unparalleled dedication to uplifting the welfare of our teachers and personnel. His genuine concern for education and his heart for our teacher has once again prioritized the needs of those shaping the future of our nation,” he said.

In a media interview in Pampanga on Tuesday, President Marcos emphasized the importance of increasing the SRI for public school teachers, describing them as a “special category.”

“Teachers are [a] special category. So, we have to handle that individually,” Marcos told reporters when asked to comment on teachers’ SRI.

Angara, meanwhile, vowed to work closely with the Department of Budget Management (DBM) to expedite the implementation of the increased SRI.

The DBM meanwhile said it would look for a funding mechanism for the higher SRI for public school teachers.

At least 1,011,800 DepEd teaching and non-teaching personnel are set to benefit from the higher incentive. (PNA)