The Department of Education yesterday thanked President Duterte for urging the 18th Congress to pass a new Salary Standardization Law during his fourth State-of-the-Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City last Monday.
DepEd said that Duterte’s direction is “consistent” with Education Secretary Leonor Briones’ commitment to “ensure an equitable and sustainable pay hike and to continue the efforts that have, by far, expanded the scope of welfare of the department’s teaching and non-teaching personnel.”
“Once approved, the new SSL will increase the compensation of government workers, including public school teachers, whose work and toil shape the mind of the youth and build the foundation of a strong country,” DepEd said.
DepEd also expressed optimism that this “will help to further uplift the professional and personal condition of teachers as DepEd continues to work from enhancing access to improving the quality of basic education.”
Teachers’ groups had earlier expressed disappointment on the “uncertainty” of the pronounced pay hike.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines and the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition said that the pronouncement of Duterte on the pay increase of government employees – which include that of the teachers – was not something that they were expecting to hear.
ACT said that they find “no comfort” in Duterte’s announcement of a pay hike that is “a little bit bigger than before” for teachers, nurses, and all other government employees. “If anything, it raises further anxieties among teachers who are hardly making ends meet due to very low pay amid incessantly soaring prices,” said Vladimer Quetua of ACT. (Ina Hernando Malipot)