Press conference of Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) saying that a mass leave of teachers is imminent if their demand for salary increase is not included in the budget of next year. INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Sunday said that while it understands the plight of public school teachers, it cannot at the moment grant them their coveted salary increase.
“Nauunawaan po natin ang idinudulog ng mga guro at iginagalang natin ang kanilang karapatang mamahayag at maglantad ng kanilang saloobin,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said over the radio.
(We understand what our teachers are asking for and we respect their freedom of expression.)
However, he pointed out that the government is already in the middle of the fiscal year and “wala pong na-identify na pagkukunan ng pondo ang kanilang hinihingi (there was no fund identified as source of the salary hike they are waiting for).”
He said the Department of Education has long been hoping to address that issue but they recognized that there are “constraints.”
Nevertheless, Coloma assured the public that they would study the matter for implementation in the near future.
Groups such as the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) have long been asking for a salary hike amid increasing prices of commodities and services.
ACT will hold a protest action on Monday, in time for the first day of classes.
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