Senate okays proposed hike in teachers’ ‘chalk allowance’

FANS OF ALL SIZES Grade 1 pupils at Pinyahan Elementary School in Quezon City finish their seatwork on Monday without worrying too much about the summer
heat as their classroom is cooled down by several electric fans in the absence of expensive air-conditioning units. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate has unanimously approved the bill institutionalizing and increasing the teaching allowance for public school teachers, more commonly referred to as “chalk allowance.”

Senate Bill No. 1964, or the proposed Kabalikat ng Pagtuturo Act, earned 22 affirmative votes on Monday during its third and final reading.

The proposed measure gradually increases the teaching allowance from P5,000 to P7,500 for the school year 2023-2024 and to P10,000 for the school year 2024-2025 onwards.

The additional benefits, it noted, will not be subjected to income tax.

“Isang hakbang palang ito sa marami pa nating mga ipapasang panukala upang bigyang sandata ang ating mga guro lalo na sa kanilang papel na ginagampanan sa buhay ng ating mga kabataan [na] hindi matatawaran,” said Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., the bill’s principal author and sponsor.

(This is only one step in our goal to pass more measures that would equip teachers, especially in fulfilling their unparalleled role in the lives of our youth.)

In a statement, Revilla also urged the House of Representatives to pass a similar measure as he noted that this bill was already approved by the Senate during the 17th and 18th Congress.

“Sana naman ay makita ng ating mga kasama sa lower house ang kahalagahan nito para sa kapakanan ng ating mga guro na siyang humuhubog sa kaalaman ng ating mga anak,” he said.

(I hope our fellow lawmakers in the lower house see the importance of this measure for the welfare of our teachers who shape the minds of our children.)

READ: Senate bill wants higher cash allowance for public school teachers

Last August, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) sounded the call for the Department of Education to double from P5,000 to 10,000 the cash allowance received by public school teachers at the start of every school year.

ACT said teachers deserve more than the meager P25 per school day for the whole academic year 2022-2023.

READ: Teachers’ union wants current P5,000 allowance doubled

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