Teachers renew call for salary increase

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers has reiterated its call to the national government to increase the benefits and salaries of teachers, one of the noblest professions in the country.

Gualberto Dajao, president of ACT-Region 6, assailed President Benigno “PNoy” Aquino III for declaring earlier that there is no money for salary increase of education employees.

Dajao said there have been billions of pesos from the pork barrel of the president that were lost to graft and corruption.

“Despite the Supreme Court’s declaration of its unconstitutionality, the Disbursement Acceleration Program is still enjoyed by the members of Aquino’s syndicate who are racketing billions of government’s money,” he said.

The Department of Education needs P6 billion for the salary increase of teaching and non-teaching employees to mitigate their very difficult condition, but “PNoy and Budget Secretary Butch Abad continue to spend hundreds of millions of pesos in anomalous projects and ignore our constitutional right for adequate remuneration,” said Dajao.

“This neglect and insensitivity to the plight of the teachers is a clear manifestation of an elitist, anti-poor and anti-people nature of this administration. We need to stand together with our collective and militant voices demanding justice for all government workers,” he said.

Dajao said ACT-6 will hold a boodle fight on October 5, in front of the Rizal Elementary School in Bacolod City, to dramatize the miserable plight of the teachers and non-teaching personnel.

Teachers from the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Silay and Talisay and Murcia town are expected to participate in this activity in their fight to uplift their living condition via salary increase.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., for his part, said it is okay for the teachers to push for a salary hike, but they should improve their quality of teaching that has been deteriorating, based on the results of the national achievement test.

Marañon said about 7,000 teachers from Regions 6, 7 and 8 are expected to observe the National Teachers’ Month celebration in Victorias City. He added that Senator Franklin Drilon and Education Secretary Armin Luistro are expected to grace the event. (FREEMAN)