By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA
The Bacolod City council has approved a resolution expressing its strong support for several pending legislative measures in the 20th Congress that seek to substantially increase the salaries and improve the benefits of public school teachers nationwide.
Councilor Caesar Distrito said they appealed to both the Senate and the House of Representatives, through Deputy Speaker and Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and other concerned officials, to prioritize the passage of these measures into law.
He said a number of pending bills in Congress aimed at uplifting the welfare of public school teachers.
Among the measures pending in the House of Representatives include:
* House Bill No. 203 — proposes a minimum monthly salary of P50,000 for public school teachers
* House Bill No. 535 — seeks to increase the salary grade of public school teachers from Salary Grade 11 to Salary Grade 17
* House Bill No. 2801 — proposes the upgrading of the minimum salary grade of public school teachers from Salary Grade 11 to Salary Grade 15
* House Bill No. 5376 — seeks an across-the-board salary increase of P20,000 for public school teachers
The city council likewise expressed support for counterpart measures pending in the Senate, including:
* Senate Bill No. 211 — proposes a P15,000 increase in the salaries of public school teachers
* Senate Bill No. 335 — seeks a P10,000 increase in the basic monthly salary of public school teachers
* Senate Bill No. 362 — proposes a P20,000 increase in teachers’ salaries
* Senate Bill No. 1408 — seeks an across-the-board salary increase of P10,000 for public school teachers
Distrito said the passage of these measures would help address the economic challenges faced by educators while recognizing their indispensable role in shaping future generations of Filipinos.
“Teachers remain the backbone of our educational system. Despite the increasing cost of living and the growing demands of the profession, many of our public school teachers continue to make sacrifices for the sake of their students. They deserve compensation that reflects the dignity, importance and value of their work,” he said.
Distrito noted that Article 14, Section 5 of the 1987 Constitution, which mandates the state to assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching attracts and retains its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.
The city council emphasized that investing in teachers is an investment in quality education, national development, and the future of the Filipino people.
“When we uplift our teachers, we strengthen our schools, empower our learners, and secure a better future for our nation,” Distrito said./MAP, WDJ