STATEMENT OF SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN ON PRESIDENT DUTERTE'S PROMISE OF SALARY INCREASE FOR TEACHERS

Napakagandang balita ito para sa ating public school teachers, kaya naman natutuwa at nagpapasalamat ako kay President Duterte sa pagdinig sa matagal nang hiling ng teachers natin na itaas ang kanilang mga sahod.

Beyond an across-the-board salary increase, however, we would like to upgrade the starting pay of teachers to bridge the increasing gap between the salaries of entry level teachers positions and that of higher positions. We would also like to increase and institutionalize the benefits and allowances that our teachers receive so that they would no longer need to shell out money from their own pockets just to buy teaching supplies.

Bills tackling these matters are currently pending in both Houses of Congress, and I would like to ask the President to certify these measures as urgent so that our teachers may get the adequate renumeration they deserve.