THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers warned that dozens of teachers have quit to find higher paying jobs abroad.

ACT said that it received reports that more than 100 teachers in Compostela Valley and Cebu recently resigned and are processing their clearances as they prepare to leave the country to work abroad.

“It is heart-breaking how our teachers who started teaching full of good intentions to mentor our youth eventually got demoralized upon experiencing first-hand how the teaching profession is treated in our country. Hindi natin masisisi ang ating mga guro dahil paulit-ulit silang binibigo ng mga nakaupo sa pwesto,” Ruby Bernardo, the group’s spokesperson, said.

“Dakilang propesyon ang pagtuturo pero hindi namin maramdaman ang pagpapahalaga ng pamahalaan sa aming mga guro. Kayod-kalabaw kami sa pagtuturo ng malalaking klase, bitbit ang sariling-biling electric fan, speaker, laptop at projector, samantalang ang ibinibigay sa amin ay sahod-alipin. Ilang eleksyon na kaming pinangakuan pero hanggang ngayon, hindi sapat ang aming sweldo para buhayin ang aming mga pamilya,” Bernardo added.

She said a P25,000 monthly income is not enough for a family to have a decent standard of living.

“Ang pinakamababang ranggo ng pulis, tumatanggap na ng higit P29,000. Ang ating mga nurse sa pampublikong ospital, sumusuweldo ng P35,000 kada buwan. Bakit hindi mabigyan ang mga guro ng katulad na antas ng suweldo gayong malaki at mahalaga rin ang mga ambag at sakripisyo namin para sa bayan?” she said.

Bernardo warned that a “brain drain” in the education department will exacerbate the learning crisis.