DepEd chief not against salary hike for teachers

MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Leonor Briones clarified yesterday that she is not against the salary increase of public school teachers, contrary to the claim of some groups.

“As education secretary and as an advocate, I am committed to the policy to promote and improve the social and economic status of public school teachers, their living and working conditions and their terms of employment. I am in full support of the President’s pronouncement to raise the salaries of teachers,” Briones said yesterday.

“The next salary increase of public school teachers will come. As secretary of education and member of the Cabinet, it is my duty to help make sure that such salary increase is equitable, within the government’s means and sustainable,” she said.

Briones assured the teachers that the department has been working with the economic team in the Cabinet to find ways and means to realize a salary increase for DepEd’s close to 830,000 teachers.

Last year, when this was taken up in the Cabinet, the decision was to allow the fourth and last tranche of the Salary Standardization Law this year and for the Department of Budget and Management to come up with a study on how to effect the next salary increase, Briones said.

The next salary increase is presently under discussion, she added.

Briones’ statement was apparently in reaction to the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), a federation of public school teachers’ associations, that had expressed resentment over the reported media statement of Briones where she allegedly chided the tutors for agitating the salary hike issue.

“What has been misunderstood, and misrepresented to be a position against a salary increase, was my discussion of the considerations that need to be taken into account in making the decision,” Briones stressed.

She said DepEd should carefully assess the fiscal impact of the salary increase of P5,000 across the board that will require an additional P75 billion annually.

Raising such amount will have to consider corresponding policies in taxes, borrowing or budget reallocation, she said.

“I emphasized that we cannot think of the teachers alone. There is an equity issue in relation to other government personnel that we need to address,” she added.

“I have also called attention to the fact that the salaries of teachers have improved over time. We also add to the basic salaries the benefits of teachers, some of which are exclusive to them. The salaries of public school teachers have already overtaken the salaries of those in private school, resulting in the migration of private school teachers to the public schools,” she added.

Briones said that discussing these considerations makes her a target of certain vicious organized groups among the ranks of teachers.

“They call me names, twist my statements and amplify negatives to overshadow whatever reforms and gains we make in basic education,” she lamented.

“Nonetheless, I also go around the country to visit schools, and I see that most teachers appreciate the efforts that we do for and with them. Yes, there are limitations, yet these do not stop us from sharing music, dance, laughter and the joy and pride of teaching,” she said.