Teachers press Duterte on salary hike

MANILA, Philippines — Various teachers’ groups in Metro Manila yesterday appealed to Malacañang to increase the salary of public school teachers.

“With April coming to a close, we just want to remind the President of the much-needed salary increase of teachers, which he himself committed to grant repeatedly in the past but has so far only done so for uniformed personnel,” said Cristina Manalo, president of the Metro Manila chapter of the Philippine Public School Teachers’ Association (PPSTA).

“We are urging the President to make good on his word. He knows of teachers’ dedication in providing quality education to our youth amid challenging situations. We only ask for what is due to us – decent salaries that will bring dignity to our noble profession,” she added.

Joining the PPSTA-Metro Manila were the Manila Public School Teachers Association, Malabon Public Elementary and Secondary Teachers Association, Pateros Public School Teachers Federation and the United Association of Public School Teachers of Las Piñas Inc. 

Also signing the petition were the Taguig Public School Teachers Association, Quezon City Public School Teachers Association, Caloocan Public Elementary and Secondary Teachers Federation and the Marikina City Federation of Public School Teachers Inc.

In their letter to Duterte, the teachers said most of them could not cope with the rising prices of commodities with their existing salaries.

They said some take home as low P5,000 per month due to debts with private lending institutions or the Government Service Insurance System.

The teachers reminded Duterte of his promise in January to raise their salaries this year.

“As we consistently advocate for the salary increase of teachers, our federations and associations are very much willing to hold a dialogue with your office for a covenant signing for salary increase for teachers this year,” read the letter.

“We are confident that a considerable improvement in the pay of our public school teachers will impact positively on their important job of molding our youth and will redound to our goal for national development,” it added.

Duterte previously promised to hold a dialogue with teachers regarding their request for a salary increase. No such dialogue has been reported despite statements of willingness from some teachers’ groups to meet with the President.

Also yesterday, members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers staged an “empty breakfast” demonstration to underscore Duterte’s failure to fulfill his promise of increasing the salary of teachers.

“Our breakfast is as empty as the President’s promise. It looks very appealing but it lacks substance,” ACT chair Joselyn Martinez said.

Martinez said Duterte has vowed five times to substantially increase teachers’ salaries since the presidential campaign, but has failed to do so already halfway through his term.

“Naturally, the paltry four tranches of salary adjustment from (former president Benigno Aquino III’s Executive Order 201) failed to temper the severe implications of record surge in prices of basic goods and commodities under Duterte. So much that we can no longer afford even the most basic of our needs,” said Martinez.

“Much like these cutout photos of meals, drawings of pay hike cannot fill our families’ empty stomachs. We’ve had enough of your empty promises, President Duterte. It’s time to take action,” she added.