Nationwide mass action today but... No rally for teachers in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Public school teachers in Cebu and in neighboring provinces in Central Visayas will not hold a rally today in line with the coordinated mass actions nationwide aimed to push for higher teacher’s salary and bigger allocation for education.

Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Region-7 Union President Antonia Lim yesterday said during the press conference that the teachers in the region will certainly join the mass action.

Lim however clarified that there will be no rally but only a simultaneous hanging of tarpaulin and signature campaign on the campuses of Abellana National High School, Don Carlos Gothong Memorial National High School, Don Vicente Rama Memorial National High School and Guadalupe Elementary School.

“As much as we want to have our own rally here, but lisud kay teachers who will be joining will be forced to be absent from their respective classes,” said Phobe Zoe Sanchez, ACT-Cebu secretary said.

The signature campaign aims to call the attention of the national government, President Benigno Aquino III in particular, and to local government units to support the teachers’ cause, she said.

“We are overworked and underpaid,” said Lim.

She said that a teacher has a starting salary of P18,549 per month which is equivalent to salary grade Step I.

The teachers’ union has been pushing for P6,451 per month increase in their existing minimum salary in order to make it P25,000, she said.

She said the union is also asking for the increase of non-teaching personnel to P15,000 from the current P9,000 per month.

“The salaries of public school teachers are currently unable to inure a reasonable standard of life for themselves and their families,” she said, adding that “several teachers have already opted to teach abroad to seek a better pay and working conditions.”

“Abroad, a teacher can earn up to P200,000 per month. Ang dinhi sa ato-a kana nga salary kay equivalent na na sa usa ka tuig,” said ACT-Region 7 union vice president Bernabe Sabejon.

The union is likewise calling the attention of Cebu lawmakers to support House Bill No. 245, which seeks to increase minimum monthly salaries of teachers and non-teaching personnel in public elementary and secondary schools.

Sabejon said that around 180 congressmen, including three from Cebu - Third District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia, Fourth District Rep. Benhur Salimbangon and Cebu City South District Rep. Bebot Abellanosa - have supported the passage of the bill.

However, the said bill was not certified as urgent by President Aquino and it is still pending before the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

“We are calling other congressmen in Cebu nga motabang sila og lobby para ma-approve gyud ni nga bill,” said Sanchez.

The bill sponsored by ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, stated that the salaries of public school teachers are not favorably comparable with other occupations in government, so as with those employees of call centers.

“Efforts of the government to upgrade the educational system cannot succeed as long as teachers and education workers are not accorded (with) decent salaries,” the bill’s explanatory note reads.

ACT-Region-7 has more than 5,000 union members, around 4,000 of which are in Cebu.

Cebu has 44,000 public elementary and high school teachers.  (FREEMAN)