Poll heroes

IN THE RECENT elections, the busiest people of all, aside from the candidates, were the Board of Election Inspectors which were mostly public school teachers. Rendering this duty is one of their numerous contributions to our society.

We owe much of our achievements to the women and men whose perseverance, commitment and selfless dedication benefit not only our students but also the society in general. Teachers are our unsung heroes who, day in and out, dedicate their lives to molding the minds of the Filipino youth despite challenges in our education system.

Government, in turn, should guarantee our teachers with adequate support through the expansion of benefits and incentives, and the strengthening of professional development programs for educators. Laws and policies must benefit the entire teaching community.

They must be provided with more benefits and greater protection such as increasing their monthly minimum wage. The State must fulfill its responsibility of providing adequate compensation for teachers and to prevent our competent and efficient educators from leaving the country for better opportunities abroad. Teachers have a big role in educating the youth on our role as stewards of the earth. They inculcate in our youth the values that would lead them towards practicing environment-friendly lifestyles, like planting trees, conserving water and energy, practicing ecological solid waste management, and many others.

The country can only move forward in the global knowledge economy if government invests enough on improving its human capital. We can start by prioritizing the welfare of our teachers. No doubt, our teachers have a crucial role in the nation’s journey towards sustainable development.