Senate bill wants higher cash allowance for public school teachers
FILE PHOTO: Teacher Ann Mariel Foronda guides a kindergarten pupil in writing his name at Pinyahan Elementary School in Quezon City during the resumption of full in-person classes for public schools on November 2, 2022. INQUIRER/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — A bill that aims to give public school teachers a higher cash allowance – currently at P20 per day – has been filed at the Senate.
During Tuesday’s plenary session, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. sponsored Senate Bill No. 1964 under Committee Report No. 40 or An Act Institutionalizing the Grant of a Teaching Supplies Allowance for Public Schools Teachers and Appropriating Funds Therefor.
“Ang ating mga guro ay masasabing (We can say that our teachers are) overworked and underpaid. The current cash allowance is P5,000 for the whole year. Divide that to 203 days, which is the total school days declared by DepEd (Department of Education) for School Year 2022-2023, P24 lang po kada araw ang matatanggap nila (is the amount they receive per day),” he said in his sponsorship speech.
READ: Since the ’80s, teachers still overworked, underpaid
“The current cash allowance also includes the P500 allocation for medical examination. Ibabawas natin ‘yan sa pambili ng mga materyales at kagamitan sa pagtuturo at papatak ‘yan na P20 lamang sa bawat araw,” he also said, further pointing out that the amount is lower than a box of chalk or a rim of bond paper.
(The current cash allowance also includes the P500 allocation for medical examination. Subtract that from the money spent to buy teaching materials, which will go down to P20 only per day.)
READ: Teachers’ union wants current P5,000 allowance doubled
Under the bill, the teaching supplies allowance per teacher for School Year 2023-2024 is set at P7,500 and P10,000 for School Year 2024-2025.
The proposed measure also provides that the allowance be “automatically adjusted to its present value every three years to account for the changing prices of teaching supplies and materials and the implementation or conduct of various” learning delivery modalities.
According to the bill, the funding for the teaching supplies allowance will be sourced from the DepEd’s appropriations under the General Appropriations Act.
Revilla urged the upper chamber to approve the measure as it is “long overdue.”
