Headline
Duterte to increase teachers’ salaries on 2nd tax reform package
FILE: Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque Jr. (PCOO Photo)
The President has given a directive, wanting to use the next tax reform package in increasing the pay of public school teachers.
According to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said this yesterday during the 21st Cabinet meeting as the government is preparing to submit its second tax reform package to Congress this month.
“The President also stated that with the second tax reform package, he has instructed DBM (Department of Budget Management) and all other agencies to find means to increase the salary of teachers after the initial doubling of salaries of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the police.
So the teachers will be next,” Roque said in a press briefing on Tuesday.
However, Duterte did not specify by how much the increase will be but the President emphasized that this will be the “tangible results of any implementation of the second tax reform package.”
“Judging by what he wanted for the PNP (Philippine National Police) and AFP, it could be that he is aiming for the doubling the salary of teachers,” he added.
Critics have been slamming the administration’s tax reform law for being “anti-poor” because while workers with salaries below P250 000 annually will lose tax cuts from their pay, prices of most goods and services are increasing in exchange.
It was in July last year when the President promised teachers of salary hike after doubling the salaries of the military and the police.
Meanwhile, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said in a press briefing yesterday that the second package will focus on lowering corporate income tax and rationalizing fiscal incentives.
He also mentioned that is “not designed to make more revenues, but to make the system more fair.”
