AKBAYAN Party-List Rep. Chel Diokno on Monday renewed his call for higher salaries and increased institutional support for public and private school teachers as the nation joins the observance of World Teachers’ Day.
In a statement, Diokno pointed out the essential role educators play not just in the lives of students but also in nation-building and therefore must be helped in alleviating their financial burdens and other concerns particularly in healthcare.
“While we recognize the invaluable role of our teachers in our society, this recognition must be matched with meaningful support that allows them and their families to live with dignity,” the lawmaker said in Filipino.
Diokno, a former educator being the founding dean of the De La Salle College of law, said the country cannot expect quality education while teachers struggle to make ends meet. Financial pressures, he noted, have pushed many teachers to seek better opportunities elsewhere, creating a huge void in the country’s educational system.
“If we want quality education, we must also make sure that our teachers are treated fairly, paid adequately, and given the support they need to do their jobs well,” he said.
He said competitive salaries, better working conditions and stronger institutional support would help retain teachers and enable them to focus on educating and nurturing the next generation of Filipino learners.
Diokno also reiterated his call for the passage of Akbayan Party-List’s House Bill No. 7649, or the “Dagdag Sahod for Public Basic Education Teachers and Employees Act,” which proposes an across-the-board increase of P15,000 to the basic monthly salary of all teaching and non-teaching personnel in public basic education.
Under the proposed measure, the P15,000 salary increase would be implemented in three tranches over three years. Public basic education personnel would receive an additional P6,000 in the first year, P5,000 in the second year and P4,000 in the third year.
Aside from salary increases, Akbayan Party-List also filed House Bill No. 7648, or the “Healthy Buhay at Hanapbuhay para sa Guro Act,” which seeks to provide comprehensive hospital, healthcare and wellness benefits to elementary and secondary school teachers and their declared dependents.
Under the proposed measure, the Department of Health (DOH) would be mandated to establish dedicated teachers’ health centers and specialty wards in all DOH-retained hospitals. Teachers and their qualified dependents would also be entitled to free healthcare services in public health facilities, with 100 percent of applicable fees and expenses covered.
The bill also provides for automatic PhilHealth coverage for public school teachers, with their premium contributions fully paid by the national government. For private school teachers, premium contributions would be shared equally by their educational institutions and the national government.
“Supporting our teachers is not limited to raising their salaries. They also have a right to quality healthcare and other services they need to live and work with dignity. If we want our teachers to care for our children and shape the future of our country, then government must also care for our teachers,” Diokno said.
