SENATOR Panfilo Lacson vowed to raise the salary of teachers and find ways to improve the quality of education if he is elected President in May.

Lacson said he will push for an increase in chalk allowance, as well as free tuition and a monthly allowance for senior high school students.

He cited the need to hire more teachers and address the needs of students.

“Dapat sa simula pa lamang ay talagang tugunan natin. 960,000-plus ‘yung ating mga guro; ang kulang natin 36,000. So, bakit nawawala ‘yung mga guro? Kasi mababa ‘yung suweldo,” the senator said.

Teachers, he added, will not search for work abroad if they have better wages in the country.

Lacson shared that he advocated better incentives for teachers in the Senate through insertions in the national budget.

“Ako pagka ‘yung budget deliberation, ‘yung chalk allowance lamang, ano. Nagsimula ito P1,000 lang e; ngayon umabot na kami ng P5,000. Lagi kong hinahanapan ng pondo. ‘Yung last-mile, ‘yung school program na kung saan ‘yung malalayong lugar, ‘yung mga tinuturuan talagang mga IPs o indigenous peoples,” he said.

The senator believes that more Filipinos can come out of poverty if the youth get quality education.

This is the aim of his Edukasyon Plus project, which seeks to provide free tuition, a P5,000 stipend every month, and a government internship program starting with senior high school students.