Senate to prioritize teacher pay hike in 18th Congress — Zubiri
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will prioritize measures seeking to increase the salaries of public school teachers, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri vowed Wednesday.
“As your Majority floor leader, I guarantee we will take it up as priority measure for the first few months of this Congress,” Zubiri told reporters in an interview.
He has filed himself the Basic Education Teacher’s Pay Increase Act, which aims to raise the compensation of basic education teachers by P10,000 per month.
Zubiri admitted that the delay in the passage of the measures stems from the House of Representatives which failed to pass its counterpart measures in the lower chamber.
To remedy this, the senator said the Senate will try to pass the measure “as soon as possible” as it has already gained the commitment of many senators, especially the neophytes.
“What we’re trying to do is maybe we’ll approve it early on. We have already the commitment of many senators, including the new senators,” he said.
Article continues after this advertisement“Matagal na po na namin itong pinaglalaban, ang pagtaas po ng sweldo ng mga teachers sa public school sector (We have been fighting for this for a long time. We want to increase the salary of teachers in the public sector),” the Senate Majority leader said.
Article continues after this advertisement“It’s about time we also increase now the pay for our teachers in public schools,” he added.
READ: Senators in 18th Congress start filing pet bills
Aside from the bill on teacher’s salary pay hike, the senator also filed the Philippine Railways Modernization Act of 2019 which aims to rehabilitate and extend the existing railways in Luzon; the SIM Card Registration Act; and a measure seeking to create a Commission on Immigration.
He also filed other bills, including the Support for Barangay Workers Act, the Barangay Health Workers Act, and the Potable Water Supply in Every Barangay Act. (Editor: Eden Estopace)
