By GERALD LEIGH LAQUINON,Correspondent
Teachers group in northern Mindanao on Friday welcomes the pronouncement of newly-elected President Rodrigo Duterte to increase their salary, as they thank the over one million voters who secured their seats in congress.
ACT Teachers’ Party-list garnered 1.14 million votes in the recent May 9 polls, giving them two seats in the 16th Congress. They’re top four in the party-list race and the top one teachers party-list.
“We are thankful to the teachers and all who made this historical victory in our struggle for the economic and political well-being of teachers and the education sector” said Ophelia Tabacon, Vice President of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers in northern Mindanao.
Tabacon also said that they are expecting that the next presidency under Duterte will finally increase the salary of teachers who had been stuck during the term of out-going president Benigno Aquino III.
She recounted that Duterte promised the Board of Election Inspectors when he voted in a polling center in Davao City on Monday, that he will increase the teachers’ salary after the soldiers’.
“Hopefully, ours will be prioritized instead of the soldiers’ much higher salary grade, since the teachers have been neglected for the past six-year Aquino administration,” added Tabacon.
ACT said that public school teachers in both elementary and high school have been earning P18,549 monthly. The group is proposing that government peg the salary at P25,000, citing a study of the National Economic and Development Authority, and the National Wages and Productivity Commission that said that for a family of five to live decently, an employee should earn at least P1,054 daily.
The teachers are elated that Duterte made the promise even before assuming office, “unlike P-Noy who did not even mention about the salary increase in his entire term.”
However, Tabacon admitted that even if they are expectant of the new president, they believe that the advancement of their struggle will depend on their collective strength and not in any politician, though she recognizes Duterte’s “track record and word of honor”.
When asked about who the teachers voted in the last elections, Tabacon admitted that they are divided but Duterte gained considerable support from the teachers especially in Mindanao.
