ACT seeks lawmakers’ help in pay hike

A TEACHER’S union is now seeking the help of newly-elected legislators after their request for salary hike remains pending.

Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Davao City division president Reynaldo Pardillo said the union’s head chapter is continuously lobbying for the increase, especially now that the incoming Senate and House of Representatives will be starting the next session in July.

Pardillo said senators Sonny Angara and Christopher “Bong” Go already pledged to look for funds to raise teachers’ salaries.

He also said Go will also seek for funding for teaching materials in public schools nationwide.

The education committee in the Senate will, however, be chaired by two senators. Sherwin Gatchalian will be the chairman of the basic education committee while Senator Joel Villanueva will chair the higher education committee.

Despite this, Pardillo hopes the committee will prioritize their petition.

This comes after the president, as relayed by Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Monday, that his economic team are looking into various means to finance the pay hike this year.

Pardillo said Duterte should already increase the teacher’s salary, a promise he made during his candidacy in the 2016 presidential elections.

ACT recently launched a campaign called #TuparinAngPangako (fulfill the promise) in line with their call.

“We understand that we are big in terms of number (public school teachers). But in the long run, it seems like our calls have been left unheard,” Pardillo said, adding that the increase would help teachers in keeping up with the increasing cost of basic goods and services due to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Law.

ACT has been demanding to increase the pay hike Salary Grade I teachers by P16,000 - P30,000 for Teacher I, and P31,000 for Instructor I.

However, the increase only amounted to P575 for Teacher I, P789 for Teacher II, and P1,008 for Teacher III.

“Ako gikatingalahan kay paspas ra napatuman ang increase sa mga kapulisan. Pero pag-abot sa mga magtutudlo, dugay kaayo ang proseso (It really makes me wonder why the increase for men-inuniform was immediately implemented, while for the teachers, the process seems to take long),” Pardillo said.

Pardillo also said the group will also continue to lobby to the Davao City government to give the teachers in the city monthly financial allowance, despite Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio saying that she will no longer communicate to ACT.

The union was asking for a P2,000-monthly financial assistance and a P2,500-quarterly rice subsidy for all teaching and non-teaching personnel, but the mayor denied their request, saying that the city’s budget cannot accommodate their request.