DepEd supports salary increase for public school teachers

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MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) is supporting calls for an increase in salary of public school teachers to support their economic condition.

DepEd Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo said increasing the salary of teachers is important as they help in bringing knowledge and molding the minds of young people.

“We definitely support the demands of our public school teachers for a raise in their salary,” Asec. Mateo said in an interview with reporters.

The DepEd official explained that the income of teachers is subject to the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) for government employees.

“Congress needs to pass an act that would amend the Salary Standardization Law,” according to Mateo.

A bill was recently filed by Magdalo partylist Representatives Francisco Ashley Asedillo and Gary Alejano that seeks to increase the salary of teachers from an average of Php 18,500 to Php 36,000.

House Bill 4081 seeks to upgrade the income of teachers in public elementary and high schools to Salary Grade 20 with basic pay of Php 36,567 from Salary Grade 11 with Php 18,549.

Meanwhile, the education department is pushing for the regularization of qualified teachers hired by local government units (LGUs).

“We have qualified teachers that are paid by LGUs that have no job security. We are aiming that they be given national government plantilla positions so that they would be able to avail benefits enjoyed by regular government employees,” according to Mateo.

The absorption of LGU-hired school teachers into the regular teaching workforce would help address the shortage of teachers in the country.

There are about 37,000 teachers hired and paid by various LGUs nationwide.