As the 18th Congress opens this July 2019, one of the important bills that they will deliberate is the bill that aims to give teachers a starting salary of Php45K or Salary Grade 19. This is a good start for those in the teaching profession who have been receiving a low salary which is not enough to sustain the daily needs of the family.
Congressman Alfred Vargas suggested that public school teachers’ entry-level salary should be increased to Php45,259.00. He further said that this is to encourage the best teachers to apply in public schools. Vargas knows that it’s quite impossible to impose this at once due to budgetary constraints so it would per recommendation of CHED and DepEd. He suggested that it could be given in this manner; basic education teachers and college faculty. The increase should start from the third lowest salary grade and to be given in the first year. On the following year, the increase should be given by three to four salary grades until all the teachers’ salary has increased.
On the other hand, Binan representative, Len Alonte will propose a teacher protection policy aside from having hazard pay. This is because teachers nowadays are bullied by students and their parents in social media. Senators Angara, Villanueva, and Cayetano had also proposed a bill in the senate that will increase the salary of teachers to Salary Grade 19. The bill will also aim to increase the salary of those receiving high salaries already including the Master Teachers.
According to them, this is needed to make salaries at par with their counterparts; soldiers, firemen, and policemen. Angara explained that there is a parity rule in the salary of government employees stating that there should be equal salary for Police Officer I, Jail Officer I, Fire Officer I, and Teacher I. Passing the bill will re-establish the equity of the rule. The increase will be given within five years to give the Department of Budget and Management ample time for the budgetary requirements.