THE HOUSE of Representatives has approved a measure declaring May 16 of each year as a special working holiday to be known as the National Education Support Personnel Day.

With 231 affirmative votes and no negative vote, House Bill 6849 was approved on third and final reading.

Assistant Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro welcomed the passage of House Bill 6948 and urged the Senate to immediately tackle and approve the same bill for its swift passage into law, saying “it is high time that we recognize education support personnel and the importance of their work.”

“During this time of a pandemic, these education support personnel, or more commonly known as the non-teaching staff in schools are the skeletal workforce who aid in the continuing service of education of teachers to their students,” Castro said.

Castro added the call for just compensation, more items for non-teaching personnel such as doctors or nurses, guidance counselors, librarians, clerk, admin staff, maintenance and janitorial personnel and security guards continues with the approval of the proposed bill.

“More than setting aside a day for education support personnel, we must heed their calls for just salaries, adequate benefits and the end of contractualization especially in this time of a pandemic where education support personnel play a huge role in the delivery of education and assistance they provide to our teachers,” the lawmaker said.

The approved measure mandates the observance and celebration of National Education Support Personnel Day through an annual program of activities to be headed by the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education.

Under the measure, heads of the national agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units and employers in the private sector involved in education are encouraged to extend their full support to relevant activities within the premises of their respective offices or establishments during the observance of the special working day.