Castro seeks bigger pay for teachers after hike in their supplies allowance

INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — After a higher teaching supplies allowance has been enacted into law, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro is pushing for a salary hike for teachers as the 19th Congress’ next agenda.

Castro in a statement on Tuesday said while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signing of the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act is a good move, the next step should be to upgrade the teachers’ salaries.

READ: Marcos signs law increasing teachers’ allowance for teaching supplies 

According to the lawmaker, the salaries of teachers have been left behind for a long time.

“The signing into law of the Teaching Supplies Allowance bill is a welcome development, but it is only a first step,” Castro said, referring to her proposed measure.

Under her proposal, Castro said the entry-level teachers’ basic salaries would be at P50,000; P33,000 for salary grade 1 employees; salary grade 16 for instructor 1 in state universities and colleges, and a P33,000 national minimum wage.

She also claimed it is unacceptable for Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) executives to enjoy super-high salaries while teachers endure low pay.

The lawmaker was referring to reports from the Commission on Audit report for 2023.

It showed that BSP executives again topped the list of government officials with the highest annual salaries.

Previously, Castro said that these high salaries are “a slap on struggling teachers’ faces, who can hardly make ends meet.”

READ: Bangko Sentral execs again top list of highest-paid officials 

“It is unacceptable that BSP executives enjoy lavish salaries, while our teachers are forced to live on a meager salary that is way below the poverty line,” Castro observed.

“It’s time for the government to prioritize the welfare of our teachers, who are the backbone of our education system,” she said.

READ: Castro: Salaries of BSP officials slap on struggling teachers’ faces 

Several teachers have complained about using their own money to buy school supplies like chalk, paper, pens, and other materials which should be shouldered by the government.

Under the new law signed by Marcos, teachers would get a P5,000 teaching supply allowance for School Year 2024-2025.

The amount will increase to P10,000 starting School Year 2025-2026.