Teachers denounce Revilla’s pay hike bill

Manila, Philippines — The pay hike bill of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.  is even “worse than the worst scenario” expected, a teachers’ group said on Wednesday, saying it reflected a lack of sincerity in the government’s bid to improve education quality.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said Senate Bill No. 1219, would raise the monthly salary of entry-level public school educators by just P1,500 for four years, well below the P10,000 increase they sought and which President Duterte had repeatedly promised them.

ACT said this would amount to P6,000 overall for 92 percent of public school teachers. Entry-level teachers, who make up the bulk of the 900,000 education personnel, currently receive a monthly salary of P20,754.

—Matthew Reysio-Cruz