Gov’t needs P150-B to fund teachers’ salary hike

“If you increase PHP10,000 for every teacher in this country, it will cost us PHP150 billion,” said Panelo in a Palace briefing. (PNA File Photo)

MANILA — The government needs to allocate approximately PHP150 billion to fund the salary hike for public school teachers, Malacañang bared on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said this was relayed to him by Education Secretary Leonor Briones through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

“If you increase PHP10,000 for every teacher in this country, it will cost us PHP150 billion,” said Panelo in a Palace briefing.

Panelo sought for more patience from teachers, but assured that funding their salary hike is still doable.

“We appeal to our teachers that since this is a huge amount, medyo haba-habaan ninyo lang ang pasensiya, talagang maghahanap tayo ng pera para sa inyo (please extend your patience, we’re really looking for funding for your salary hike),” Panelo said.

He said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic managers have already been instructed to look for sources of funding for their wage increase.

“Iyong mga economic managers ginagawan ng paraan kung saan nila kukunin (economic managers are findings ways to get the source of funding),” he added.

Panelo, meanwhile, reiterated Duterte’s commitment to raise the wages of teachers the same way he did for military and police personnel.

“The President has committed himself and he has not renege on any commitment he has made during the presidential elections,” Panelo said.

Earlier, Panelo said teachers have a special place in the President’s heart because his late mother, Soledad, was also a teacher.