Public school teachers are demanding an increase to P25,000 ($557) from the current 18,549 ($413) a month; and P15,000 ($334) from the current P9,000 a month ($200) for non-teaching personnel.
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Public school teachers under the Alliance of Concerned Teachers will hold a sit-down strike on Feb. 24, Tuesday to once again register their demand for a salary increase.
“On Feb. 24, teachers from different parts of the country will show how we’re aghast over the continuing neglect of President Benigno S. Aquino III on our demand for salary increase,” Benjamin Valbuena, national chairman of ACT said. “Despite the legitimacy of our call, the current president simply dismisses it under the guise of unavailability of public funds.”
Valbuena said leaders and members of ACT from the National Capital Region and Bicol Region’s Union have declared their participation in the nationwide sit-down strike for salary increase.
This will be the second sit-down strike by the public school teachers in three months. The first was on Nov. 14 last year, when striking teachers did not teach for the day and only gave activities for students.
On the 24th, teachers will once again refrain from teaching what the Department of Education (DepEd) has mandated them to teach the students.
Public school teachers are demanding an increase to P25,000 ($557) from the current 18,549 ($413) a month; and P15,000 ($334) from the current P9,000 a month ($200) for non-teaching personnel.
House Bill 245, which provides salary increase for teachers and non-teaching personnel, is still pending in the House of Representatives despite having more than 100 co-authors and equivalent bills in the Senate. Aquino has not signed the proposed bill, as the budget department says that there are not enough funds for salary increase.
“There are no available funds for our salary increase and yet he is all-out in giving in funds for his illegal pet-projects like the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Openly, he declared that he is considering us as his ‘boss’ but his actions speak otherwise,” Valbuena said.
ACT also calls for the immediate implementation of Republic Act 4670 or the Magna Carta of Public School Teachers which mandates that salaries of public school teachers “shall compare favorably with those paid in other occupations requiring equivalent or similar qualifications, trainings and abilities” (Section 15a) and “shall be such as to insure teachers a reasonable standard of life for themselves and their families” (Section 15b).”
“We call also for the government to follow the provisions of the Salary Standardization Law III which states that government workers’ pay must be adjusted every three years,” Valbuena said.
The teachers’ group also joined the All Workers Unity’s call for a P16, 000 ($361) national minimum wage.
“Aquino betrayed us when he chooses the whims and caprices of his kabarilan, kaibigan, kapartido and kamag-anak, over our right to a decent and living wage together with the working men and women who are starving because they were also denied of decent wages,” Valbuena added.
The group called Aquino the “Teachers’ enemy number 1” for continuing to disregard their demand.
Act has called for Aquino’s resignation. “Simply put, there is no room for an inutile and pro-capitalist leader in our midst,” said Valbuena. 
