Teachers: Proposed pay raise ‘insulting’

CEBU, Philippines - Public schools in Cebu staged a noise barrage to denounce the proposed increase in the current salary of teachers, which educators say is “insulting.” 

 At 12 noon yesterday, bells in various schools here were rung simultaneously for up to seven minutes.

The initiative was spearheaded by Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), which has 30,000 members nationwide and was participated in by different schools with TDC members in Cebu, Mandaue and Toledo cities, as well as schools in Cebu Province.

Anabelle dela Cerna, TDC vice chairwoman for the Visayas, said the noise barrage was intended to push for the passage of the salary increase bill now pending in Congress. It was also a call to seek for a P10,000 across-the-board salary increase, she added.

 Dela Cerna said the increase under HB 6268 or the Salary Standardization Law is insulting as they are treated as beggars.

 In the proposal, the entry level position of teachers will be raised to 12 percent of their basic salary or an addition of P2,205 that would be divided by four tranches or an annual increase of more than P500 from 2016 to 2019.

    However, legislators and Cabinet secretaries will receive an increase of 187 percent while the President’s salary will have an additional 22 percent from the present amount of P120,000.

 In a joint statement of TDC and Ating Guro Partylist, the groups recognized government efforts to increase the salary of government workers, but criticized the “measly” increase.

 “Sa House Bill 6268 o SSL 2015, tila limos at hindi umento ang ibibigay ng pamahalaang Aquino sa mga guro at kawani. Ito ang kanyang pamaskong handog, ang kanyang iiwanang alaala bago siya tuluyang magpaalam sa gobyerno sa susunod na taon,” it reads.

 “BARAT at kuripot ang pamahalaan na nakatakdang magbigay lamang ng kabuuang umentong P2, 205 sa entry-level position nating mga guro, ang salary grade 11 (SG-11). Ang malupit, hahatiin pa ito sa apat na hulog. Sa suma total, lampas P500 lamang ang nakatakdang umento kada taon mula 2016 hanggang 2019,” it added. (FREEMAN)