DAVAO CITY (June 12) — President Rodrigo Duterte is definitely committed to increase the salary of public school teachers, but he is still finding for a fund source to realize the commitment.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Tuesday said, Duterte really wanted to increase the salary but ” Ang problema nga lang doon ay naghahanap tayo ng pagkukunan eh .”
The government, according to Panelo is looking for means to raise the interest and welfare of public school teachers.
“What I know is that they’re preparing for—basta they are doing something about it,” he said.
Panelo said a PHP10,000 increase for each public school teacher will cost the government about PHP150 billion.
“Kasi (That is why) you have to source funds,” he said.
The Department of Education (DepEd) noted that the public school teachers’ monthly salary has increased by more than 100 percent since 2000.
Data from DepEd showed that the basic monthly salary of a Teacher I constituted a 119.25 percent increase, which means that following the final tranche of the Salary Standardization Law in 2019, a Teacher I now gets PHP20,754 compared to the PHP9,466 in 2000.
Currently, DepEd said, a Teacher II receives PHP22,938 monthly compensation; Teacher III — PHP 25,232; Master Teacher I — PHP40,637; Master Teacher II — PHP45,269; Master Teacher III — PHP51,155; and Master Teacher IV — PHP57,805.
DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones earlier said it is her duty to ensure that the salary increase is equitable, within the government’s means, and is sustainable. -ezc with report from PNA
