Teachers' pay hike set in June

CEBU, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday announced an increase of the salaries for all public school teachers nationwide starting in the next schoolyear.

The president made the announcement during the recognition rites of the first batch of the Global Filipino Teachers in Central Visayas held at the Cebu International Convention Center.

“We realized and acknowledged the role of the teachers that is why during our administration we have increased the salaries of teachers by fifty percent and you will get another increase starting June,” Arroyo said.

 Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said that the increase in June is the second installment of the three-stage increase that the Arroyo administration has committed for public teachers.

Lapus said this is part of the approved allocation last year wherein each public school teacher is given a uniform salary increase of at least P1,000 for every phase of the increase.

It is part of the total additional P6,500 a month within four years which accounted almost 60 percent increase from regular salary.

The three-phase increases have put the public school teachers ahead in terms of salary over that of the private schools.

“Private school teachers are already sounding their concerns that they are already lagging behind with regards to salary that is why a lot of private school teachers are moving to public schools,” Lapus said.

In her speech, Arroyo said that education is the foundation of every opportunity and a key to a better life.

Arroyo, a teacher herself before she joined politics, said that education opens minds and doors.

She thanked Globe for the partnership in providing the connectivity to public high schools. She said it is important because education and technology is the twin pillars of which the future of the nation rests.

Globe has provided the Global Filipino Teachers training program which integrated information and communications technology in teaching basic subjects like English, Science, Math and HeKaSi (Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika).

There were 96 teachers in Central Visayas who graduated from the program but only 67 qualified for the certificate of proficiency. The teachers who have completed the six-day training program automatically earned three units in Masters Program. — Fred P. Languido/MEEV(FREEMAN NEWS)