The Senate approved on second reading Tuesday the bill that would increase to up to P10,000 the cash allowance given to public school teachers for teaching supplies and materials.
Senate Bill No. 1092, or the proposed "Teaching Supplies Allowance Act", is close to hurdling the Upper Chamber following its passage on second reading.
From the current P3,500, the bill proposes a staggered increase of the teaching allowance, formerly called the "chalk allowance", to P5,000 starting the school year 2021 to 2022.
The amount P5,000 shall remain for the following school year, until 2023, when it would be raised to P7,500.
In 2024, the allowance would then be increased to P10,000.
The bill said the cash allowance shall be used for the purchase of "tangible and intangible" teaching supplies and materials for the implementation of various teaching modalities.
Before its approval, it was amended to cover teachers "who are engaged in teaching public basic education, consistent with the learning modalities recognized by the Department of Education (DepEd)".
The allowances shall be sourced from the DepEd's annual budget in the General Appropriations Act. It shall also be exempt from income tax.
Senators have been pushing for the increase in teachers' allowance. Teachers have been requesting for the additional allowance from the government as the country shifted to blended and distance learning this school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., sponsor of the Senate Bill No. 1092, said that the bill, once signed into law, "ay makatutulong po ito sa mga gastusin ng ating mga guro (will help ease the expenses of our teachers)."