In recognition of the invaluable role of teachers in nation-building, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. filed Senate Bill No. 267 or “The Public School Teachers’ Salary Upgrading Act”.
This is in consonance with the constitutional guarantee for the State to “assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.”
This bill seeks to elevate the pay grade of entry-level public school teachers from Salary Grade 11 (P25,439) to Salary Grade 15 (P35,097) to provide them an increased compensation to cope with the challenges of the current times.
The veteran lawmaker acknowledged the indispensable role of teachers not only in their primary duty of molding our youth for them to reach their full potential, but also their importance in upholding democracy and being one of the great pillars of our society.
“Hindi matatawaran ang ambag ng mga guro kahit saan mang lipunan. Wala siguro tayo sa kinatatayuan natin ngayon kung hindi dahil sa mga masisigasig nating “ma’am” at “sir” na walang-humpay tayong ginabayan para maging matagumpay sa buhay. Sila ang kaakibat natin sa pagpapalaki sa ating mga anak. Sila ang humuhubog sa ating kabataan at lumilinang sa kanilang kinabukasan. Kaya nararapat lamang na pahalagahan sila ng gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay sa kanila ng tama, sapat, at napapanahong sahod,” Revilla said.
According to statistics reported by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), a family of 5 needs P42,000.00 to be considered living above the poverty line. This however has been exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic and rising inflation. In spite of costlier basic needs, the salary of teachers has hardly increased.
“Dapat na natin itaas ang sweldo ng mga guro. Hindi na naaayon ang sahod na natatanggap nila sa bigat ng trabaho na ginagampanan nila, kasabay pa nang nagtataasang presyo ng bilihin. Let’s show how we value our teachers by compensating them properly. Nararapat lamang na bigyan natin ng tinig ang ating mga mahal na guro na ang kabayanihan at sakripisyo ang pundasyon ng sektor ng edukasyon”, the solon ended.
Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph
