SENATORIAL aspirant and Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares vowed to push measures that will ensure decent, safe and dignified work for teachers.

To achieve this, he said that the salaries of teachers and non-teaching staff should be upgraded, there should be an effective pandemic response and respect and protection of democratic rights.

“It is time that we listen and heed the calls of the second biggest stakeholder in the education sector – our teachers,” Colmenares said.

Teachers, he added, have long suffered from below-par wages and benefits. Their situation was compounded by the pandemic because of the added pressures and complications of distance learning.

“With uniformed personnel getting hefty increases in the last six years, it is time we give the same value to our teachers. We start by upgrading their monthly salaries to Salary Grade 15 or P35,097 for Teacher I, SG 16 or P38,150 for Instructor I, and P16,000 a month for SG 1 employees,” he said.

“Distance learning is part of the new normal. I commit to legislation providing each teacher with a laptop and P1,500 internet load allowance. Teachers and employees in face to face classes should be provided free and regular testing, treatment and other health services,” Colmenares added.

He stressed the need for government to raise the dignity and protect the rights of teachers and end the practice of contractualization and give them the option of retiring at age 56.

“I have long-included the education sector’s agenda in my work as a three-term representative in Congress, and I commit to do the same when elected to the Senate. Naniniwala ako dahil mahirap at napakahalaga ng trabaho ng mga guro, dapat lang at kayang-kaya na mabigyan sila ng sweldo, benepisyo at karapatan na karapat-dapat at may dignidad,” Colmenares said.