Public school teachers belonging to Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) welcomed the new increase in their salaries and in other government employees effective June 24 based on the National Budget Circular 524 issued by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on June 23. But the group said that the increase is “very minimal and simply not enough.”

The circular will implement the second tranche of salary increase in accordance with the Joint Resolution No. 4 or the “Salary Standardization Law of 2009 (SSL-3)” approved by the Congress and Malacañang in 2009. The SSL-3 was pushed by Malacañang as an alternative to the salary upgrading bill approved by the Senate.

TDC national chairman Benjo Basas said that the teachers welcome SSL-3 for this law granted increase not just for us teachers but for all the government workers as well.

“However, we are clamoring for the upgrade of salary since the first SSL passed into law in 1989 because we feel that the teachers' compensation must be higher than what these laws provide,” said Basas who is also a teacher in Baesa High School in Caloocan City. (Ina Hernando-Malipot)

DoLE prmotes LEP project
Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz vowed on Tuesday to promote extensively the government’s Ladderized Education Program (LEP), saying it will empower people to look for high-end jobs.

In a speech at the turnover ceremony at the DoLE, Baldoz highlighted the LEP as one of the key programs under her term which also reflects President Aquino’s mandate to provide more local employment opportunities for Filipinos.

“If it (LEP) gets promoted extensively, many graduates will aim to high their competency and skills, and working Filipinos will have more access for jobs,’’ said Baldoz.

The LEP is an existing program being implemented by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), a DoLE-attached agency, along with the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).

The program is designed to help students, particularly the self-supporting ones to pursue and finish college education without going the full circle.

It also allows for vocational courses to be credited as units earned toward a related college degree program. (Shianee Mamanglu)

Ombudsman suspends NAP official
The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended an official of the National Archives of the Philippines (NAP) for alleged misconduct. Suspended for six months without pay on orders of Ombudsman Maria Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez was Virgilio O. Austria, NAP administrative officer.

The anti-graft body said it found substantial evidence to hold Austria liable for simple misconduct as it ordered the NAP to suspend the respondent within five days from receipt of the suspension order.

Austria's case stemmed from a complaint filed by his co-employer Rosemarie L. Calaranan who alleged that the respondent uttered malicious and slanderous remarks on May 7, 2008 at the NAP lobby while he was presiding over the election of the representatives of the archives’ placement committee.

Calaranan complained that before the nomination proceedings and in front of many NAP employees participating in the said election, Austria remarked over the microphone that “I and Rosemarie Labindao Calaranan are of no good moral character because of the administrative and criminal cases.” (Jun Ramirez)