Kindergarten teachers lament about unpaid salaries since July

CEBU, Philippines - Several kindergarten teachers in Cebu City are complaining that that they have not been paid their salaries since July.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, who chairs the committee on education of the city council, said he received a barrage of text messages and even verbal complaints from the teachers.

 "Sir mga kinder teachers mi, ang among sweldo sa month of July hangtud karon wala pa jud mi sweldo. Wala nami gikaon," reads one of the text messages received by Young.

According to Young, there are more than 200 kindergarten teachers assigned in various public schools of Cebu City.

Department of Education Cebu City Division superintendent Rhea Mar Angtud promised to look into the complaints today. Although, she admitted that they are still processing the payrolls for the months of August and September.

Angtud wants to know the specific schools where the complainants came from but Young refused to divulge them upon the request of the complainants who admitted they are afraid of reprisals from their principals.

"Kasab-an lagi kuno sila sa principal kon mahibaw-an nga misumbong nga wala pa sila kasweldohi. Malooy sab ta nila," Young said.

According to Young, it is the principals who failed to do their tasks to look after the welfare of their teachers.

Angtud explained that it is the duties of the principals to see to it that their teachers can collect their salaries on time and they should be the one to be blamed for the lapses.  (FREEMAN)