President Duterte has assured teachers that after the military and the police, they’re next in line for a wage increase.
Duterte however admitted that it was harder to increase the salary of teachers since there are more of them than uniformed personnel.
Millions of teachers
“Remember that there are millions of teachers. There are only a few policemen, something like 160. There are 130 in the military. It’s easier [to find funds for them]. That is why their salaries have been doubled,” the President said during the oathtaking of newly elected local government officials in Cagayan de Oro on Wednesday night.
Public school teachers have been pressing Duterte to make good on his promise to increase their salaries after he adjusted the compensation of uniformed personnel.
Malacañang has appealed to the teachers to be more patient as the government was still looking for possible sources of funding to cover the salary increase.
The government said it would need P150 billion to grant a P10,000 pay hike to public school teachers.
Duterte said the government decided to give soldiers and policemen a pay hike in recognition of their hard work, especially their willingness to put their lives on the line to protect the country.
On Thursday, Sen. Panfilo Lacson thanked the President and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for paving the way for the much-awaited increase in pension among uniformed personnel.
“On behalf of the 220,000 retirees, let me say a lifetime ‘thank you’ to the President for Joint Resolution 1,” the senator said on his Twitter account.
He added: “No other President has shown such concern for those who served and offered their lives for country and people. All we have to do is continue breathing for as long as we can.”
P29.9 billion released
Joint Resolution No. 1 authorized an increase in the base pay of military and other uniformed personnel in government, which will also cover retirees.
Earlier, the DBM released the pension requirements of retirees under the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
The DBM said it has released P29.9 billion to the AFP general headquarters, P21.7 billion to the PNP, P1.9 billion to the BFP, and P731 million to the BJMP.
The release order for uniformed personnel of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority will be issued upon submission of the required special budget request to the DBM.