Teachers naman!
Cayetano bats
for increase in teachers' salaries and benefits
By Office of the Senate
Majority Leader
October 4, 2014
PASAY CITY – Better
pay leads to quality education.
Recognizing the important
role of educators in improving the quality of education in the
country, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter “Companero” S. Cayetano is
pushing anew for the immediate passage of a measure that would provide
at the very least P10,000 as additional support and compensation to
public school teachers.
“Coming from a family of
teachers, I very well understand the plight of our educators,
especially those who belong to the public school system. They are the
backbone of our country’s future yet they do not receive the monetary
benefits to commensurate their contributions to our society,” Cayetano
said, in celebration of World Teachers Day today, October 5.
Cayetano’s grandmother,
Juliana Cabrera Luna, was a public school teacher at Pateros
Elementary School. His mother, Sandra, was a pre-school directress and
teacher while his father, the late Senator Rene “Compañero” Cayetano,
taught in Law in Lyceum of the Philippines and brother Congressman
Lino taught in U.P. College of Mass Communication.
Senate Bill 94, which he
authored, will primarily benefit public school teachers,
locally-funded teachers, Philippine Science High School System
teaching and non-teaching personnel, and non-teaching personnel of the
Department of Education (DepEd), excluding those occupying positions
from salary grade level 30 upwards.
Once approved, the bill will
give teachers additional compensation of P9,000, support in the form
of allowances and other remuneration from local school board funds, a
P1,000 allowance for medical check-up per year, and a bonus to answer
for the unpaid benefits granted by the Magna Carta for Public School
Teachers.
“Teachers mold the Filipino
youth into becoming responsible citizens. We are who we are, in part,
because of our teachers. To my colleagues in the Senate, let us show
our gratitude to our educators by approving Senate Bill 94,” the
senator said.
Cayetano also cited a World
Bank study which described teachers as the single most important
factor in the performance of students.
“Better pay for teachers is
equal to better quality education. At hindi tayo mapapagod sa
pagsulong sa kalidad na edukasyon para sa kabataang Pilipino.”
Cayetano said, scoring the government’s inaction because of graft and
corruption.
“Lately we are seeing action
(good projects) but with massive corruption. Naniniwala tayo na
maraming makikinabang kapag may aksyon na walang korupsyon,” he
emphasized.