THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers visited the office of Vice President Leni Robredo to submit a comprehensive list of the education sector’s demands which it hopes she can include in her platform.

The urgent demands of teachers are higher salaries, payment of overtime pay for 77 days rendered last year, provision of laptop and P1,500 monthly internet allowance, P3,000 inflation adjustment allowance for public school employees, P10,000 pandemic aid for private school teachers and staff and P10,000 tax-free election service compensation.

The group also sought Robredo’s full support to the rights and welfare of teachers and students especially during the pandemic.

“The botched pandemic response and abject abandonment of the Duterte administration no doubt brought grave damages to the Philippine education system—affecting millions of teachers and students, and the entire nation as well. As such, we challenge VP Robredo to include the education sector’s demands in her electoral platform and to work with stakeholders in crafting a plan to address the many issues hounding the sector. These are bare minimums for anyone who aspire to lead the country,” Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, said.

“Pagod na kaming paulit-ulit na lokohin at paasahin sa mga makukulay na pangakong lagi namang napapako ng administrasyong Duterte. What we need is a president who will not only listen but also decisively take action to tend to the needs of the education sector now more than ever,” he added.

Basilio said that public school teachers will again render services as poll workers in 2022 despite the health risks.

“The upcoming election is crucial not only in salvaging the state of our education, but also in ensuring that the future will encompass the safe return of our students to schools, improve education access and quality, and better the situation of our education workers. We find it only fair that our presidentiables work to earn our confidence and give us the assurance that they will heed our demands and continue to work with us in bettering the state of education in the country,” he said.