Rep. Biazon pushes tax reprieve, better pay for public school teachers

Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Public school teachers have been faithful taxpayers but are among the lowest paid professionals. Perhaps it’s time to give them a break.

Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon has refiled his bill to exempt the allowances and other benefits of public school teachers from taxes in order to provide them with much-needed extra funds.

Another lawmaker, ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, has proposed that public school teachers’ basic salary be increased to P25,000 from P18,500, and those of non-teaching personnel increased to P15,000 from P9,000.

Biazon, in his explanatory note to the bill granting tax exemptions to teachers’ allowances and other benefits, said the incentive could also help keep teachers in their posts and encourage new ones to serve public schools, especially in the rural areas, said Biazon.

He noted that there is a great demand for public school teachers, especially in the rural areas. But many teachers have been opting to go overseas for better paying jobs.

He said the teachers’ allowances and benefits should not be included in the computation of their gross income and should be exempt from taxation. These should also not be subjected to attachment, levy, and execution, he added.

As for Tinio, he said the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers state that their salaries must compare favorably to those in other occupations that require the same qualifications and must be able to give teachers and their families a reasonable standard of life.

But he said the current pay scheme does not fulfill their requirements. A Philippine Military Academy cadet earns more, as do call center agents. The teachers’ salaries are also not enough for their needs, he added.

He said the salaries of teachers, as well as non-teaching personnel who perform complementary activities, must be increased to stop the exodus of teachers for better-paying jobs abroad.

Efforts to improve the quality of education in the country will also not succeeded as long as public school teachers and other personnel are not adequately compensated, he added.

A recent report showed that public school teachers have paid more taxes than doctors and lawyers who charge much higher fees. This indicates that teachers had been paying taxes faithfully despite their low pay, compared to higher-earning professionals, according to an official of teachers’ group.