House leader seeks PhP30,000 basic monthly salary for public school teachers

Photo courtesy of Laguna School Systems

MANILA — A House leader is seeking to raise to PhP30,000 the basic monthly salary of public school teachers, regardless of their length of service, in recognition of their invaluable contribution to national development and the ever-growing challenges they face.

Rep. Winston Castelo (2nd District, Quezon City) made the proposal as he noted public school teachers in the country are unjustly assigned a salary grade way below their worth and their contribution to national development.

“They mold the youth into becoming future leaders and such role fuels the nation’s progress. The extent and complexity of our public school teachers’ work are inerrable. Their profession entails a lot of sacrifice and self-denial, yet they are underpaid and undervalued,” said Castelo, chairman of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development.

The lawmaker further noted that the teaching profession entails a lot of patience and hard work. “The effort teachers put in just dealing with so many kinds of individuals and different behaviors cannot be gainsaid,” he said.

Moreover, he said the teachers’ work is not confined within the four walls of the classroom. “For most part, they carry on their work up to their homes. They also have to contend with the administrative aspect of the profession. Teachers give more of themselves than what is called for,” said Castelo.

Castelo said his proposal is in line with the constitutional provisions that the highest budgetary priority shall be given to education, and that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.

“With the ever-growing challenge our public school teachers face, it is only fitting to accord them the salary increase they rightfully deserve,” said Castelo.

Castelo’s House Bill 5188, now pending at the Committee on Appropriations, chaired by Rep. Isidro T. Ungab (3rd District, Davao City), provides that all public elementary and high school teachers, shall, regardless of their length of service, be entitled to a PhP30,000 basic monthly salary.

It provides the funds for said salary increase shall be incorporated by the Department of Education (DepEd) in its budget for each fiscal year. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in cooperation with DepEd, shall promulgate the implementing rules and regulations of the proposal once it becomes a law.