Drilon optimistic on passage of bill raising teachers’ salaries

“If we truly care about our country and its people, it would serve us well to invest in them. Devoting resources for their benefit means investing in our future,” Drilon said. (File Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon is optimistic that the bill seeking to increase the salaries of public school teachers will be passed in the 18th Congress.

In a statement on Monday, Drilon said the “long-sought increase” in teachers’ pay has been attracting bipartisan support in the Senate.

“If we truly care about our country and its people, it would serve us well to invest in them. Devoting resources for their benefit means investing in our future,” Drilon said.

Drilon filed his own version through Senate Bill 19, which proposes an entry-level salary for public school teachers of not less than PHP30,000 a month.

The current monthly salary of an entry-level public school teacher (Teacher 1) is at PHP20,754.

“We should provide teachers with the right incentives to encourage them to remain in the noblest profession of educating and molding our youth to become productive citizens of this country,” Drilon said.

“This proposed salary increase will invigorate our teachers as they help build the nation, one student, one classroom at a time,” he added.

Drilon said the proposal aims to improve the performance of educators, thus resulting in a better quality of education.

SB 19 also seeks to adjust the minimum basic salary received by entry level teachers in state universities and colleges to PHP31,000.