By Merlina Hernando-Malipot Teachers groups on Friday appealed to President Duterte not to “discriminate” them and look at their salary increase as a means to address “underdevelopment” in the country. The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) said that they have been calling for a P10, 000-across the board increase for teachers and “we anticipate that the government will work for it.” TDC National Chairperson Benjo Basas
(Teachers' Dignity Coalition / MANILA BULLETIN) TDC National Chairperson Benjo Basas said that this “amount which will be applicable to all teachers, regardless of position, is much lower than what the government has previously granted to the military and uniformed personnel by way of a Congressional Joint Resolution last year.” Basas noted that teachers and other rank and file state workers “suffered low pay and limited benefits” since 1989 when the salary standardization law (SSL) was first implemented. Former President Aquino prolonged that suffering by extending the SSL thru his EO 201 which gave us a meager P2,205 increase spread over a period of four years. “If President Duterte will base the salary increase on that obsolete law, just like his predecessors, he would be a party for the perpetuation of the scheme which is unjust and discriminatory,” Basas said. Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines called on the President to look at raising teachers’ salaries as “equally important to increasing the pay of military and police, because doing such is an effort to address underdevelopment in the country.” ACT issued this statement as a reaction to the President’s recent remark that he prioritized the latter due to its integral role in building a strong country. “Cultivating a progressive country through quality education is just as vital as building a strong republic,” said ACT National Chairperson Joselyn Martinez. “Giving teachers just compensation serves as an aid to addressing underdevelopment, such crucial role of education is what makes teaching an esteemed and dignified profession,” Martinez said – adding that “ensuring a learned constituency should be valued as much as ensuring peace and order in the country.” Both groups also reacted to the number of teachers given by the President. In his speech in Cagayan de Oro City earlier this week, Duterte assured public school teachers that his government would “raise their salaries” as promised – it’s just that “there are millions of teachers.” “There are 800,000 teachers, not millions by the way, and all of them are anticipating a pay scheme that recognizes the teachers' crucial role in our society we fervently hope that President Duterte would deliver his promise,” Basas said. Martinez further reasoned out that the “vast number” of teachers in the country is in itself a “treasure” that must be cherished by the state. “Teachers, as the mother of all other profession, can produce millions of citizens that are equipped to partake in the building of a productive and progressive Philippines,” she added. Meanwhile, both groups noted that the issue of teachers’ “meager pay” boils down to the government’s prioritization.