SEPT.

26, 2013

NR # 3238

Solon seeks granting of P5,000 monthly Anti-Poverty Allowance to public school teachers
A House leader is seeking the provision of a P5,000 monthly Anti-Poverty Allowance to each of the countrys public school teachers to help them cope with the rising costs of basic commodities and for the government to attract more high-quality educators in the public schools. Rep. Al Francis Bichara (2nd District, Albay) raised the proposal through House Bill 2356 which he said ultimately aims to combat poverty among public school teachers and uplift their dignity and the importance of the public teaching profession. With the skyrocketing costs of gasoline, electricity and other basic commodities, there is an imperative need to improve the economic plight of our public school teachers, said Bichara, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. The lawmaker said it is unfortunate that under the present pay scale of civil servants, public school teachers only receive a minimum salary of P18,594. Undeniably, our teachers can barely cope with the daily standard of living with such meager sum. Reliable surveys reveal the typical family of a public school teacher lives below the Philippine poverty line, Bichara said. He said this is the reality despite a constitutionally mandated principle of the State to assign the highest budgetary priority to endure and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment. Likewise, he said Republic Act 4670 otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers provides it is States duty to promote and improve the social and economic status of public school teachers. House Bill 2356 provides that all public elementary and high school teachers shall be granted P5,000 additional allowance per month, to be known as the Anti-Poverty Allowance. Such allowance shall be considered an additional compensation to their existing salary and benefits. It provides that public elementary and secondary school teachers shall include NationallyFunded Public School Teachers and Locally-Funded Teachers. The bill refers to Nationally-Funded Public School Teachers as those persons engaged in: actual classroom teaching in public basic education; teaching in alternative learning system (ALS); and actual classroom teaching in the Philippine Science High School System. Meanwhile, Locally Funded Teachers are those hired and paid for, fully or partially, by an LGU or any other local entity based on the rules and regulations issued by the Department of Education. The bill provides that locally-funded teachers shall be included in the proposed Act only if the local government unit (LGU) or local entity concerned has available funds. (30) rbb