As the new school year opened, Malacañang assured public school teachers yesterday that President Duterte will fulfill his promise to increase their salaries.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said that Duterte is working on his promise and has not forgotten them.
“The President is working on that and hopefully that can be responded to. Our economic managers are doing everything to see how things can be done,” he said. “The President has not been reneging on his commitment but as you all know, there have been many things that occurred during the three-year term,” he added.
Panelo explained that the Chief Executive had to increase the salary of the government forces first because they are in the front lines in securing the country. However, he said, this does not mean that the President has forgotten the teachers.
“They, police and soldiers, go out of their homes, half of their feet are already buried on the ground. But you must remember that the mother of the President was a teacher and so his heart is with the teacher,” he said.
The Palace official said that the President’s economic team is now working to finding a source to increase the teachers’ salaries, noting that it cannot be done by simply issuing an executive order.
“I have talked to the Secretary of Finance and budget manager, they said that they are working on it. Let’s see how it goes,” Panelo said. “Issuing an EO is easier said than done because even if you issue an executive order, if there is no funding source, baka lalong magkaproblema tayo. So we have to get funding first,” he added.
“I don’t know where they will get the funds but they are looking for this source,” he continued.
Duterte had earlier admitted that there was no sufficient budget yet to bankroll his plan to double the wages of public school teachers. “For the teachers, just wait a little because we don’t have the budget for that yet. But your salaries will be doubled just like with the police. My mother was a teacher too,” Duterte said.
Last January, the President pledged to raise the salaries of public school teachers this year after approving the pay hike for soldiers and policemen. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)