Teachers’ Day: Villanueva renews call for more benefits for teachers

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva receives the Gawad Sulo Award for Public Service from the Philippine National University. (Photo from his office)

MANILA, Philippines — On World Teachers’ Day, Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva renewed his call for increased allowances and benefits for teachers.

He expressed his support for teachers as he clinched the Gawad Sulo Award for Public Service from the Philippine Normal University (PNU) for his “unwavering work for the welfare and betterment of the country’s educators.”

The PNU Gawad Sulo is the highest award given by the institution to exemplar people or groups that made significant steps to education development.

“Receiving this award comes with a feeling of grace and gratitude. Most importantly, it’s a reminder to always rise above oneself, especially for the cause of our teachers who change lives, shape minds and mold futures. For the far-reaching role they play, our teachers deserve better,” Villanueva, whose parents were once teachers, said in a statement.

Calling Filipino teachers heroes, the majority leader said: “They deserve the support for being the lifeblood to fulfilling the right to education.”

Villanueva has filed four Senate bills that aim to boost teachers’ welfare:

• the proposed Additional Allowance for Public Basic Education Act
• the proposed Additional Allowances for State Universities and Colleges (SUC) and Technical and Vocational Institutions Personnel Act
• the proposed Free Healthcare for All SUC Personnel Act
• the proposed Teaching Supplies for Public Basic Education Personnel Act.

— TRISHA MANALYSAY (TRAINEE)

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