THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers said that former President Rodrigo Duterte’s Salary Standardization Law V and selective Executive Order 174 (Expanded Career Progression System for Public School Teachers) are proof that the government is stingy on teachers.

“The DepEd should be reminded that it was President Duterte then who reneged on his promise, which he had made not less than ten times during his term, that he will significantly increase, if not double, teachers’ salaries. Instead of fulfilling this as given to police and uniformed personnel, or upgrading teachers’ entry-level pay to salary grade 15 as with the nurses, what we got is a measly 5-7 percent yearly salary adjustment for four years, alongside all other government employees, and a selective promotion scheme that maintains the base pay of teachers at salary grade 11. ‘Binabarat’ is only an objective assessment of how the government treats out teachers,” Raymond Basilio, the group’s secretary general, said.

Basilio said that the Department of Education should be reminded that the government still owes teachers additional compensation for the 77 excess workdays in school year 2020-2021, and up to three weeks of extended work this July.

“The DepEd should revisit its orders to see that it went stingy on teachers for granting a mere 1:1 service credits for teachers’ service rendered during enrolment and Brigada Eskwela, instead of the lawful 1:1.25 as mandated by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers,” Basilio added.

He also noted that the issue of overpriced and outdated laptops is an insult to the teachers.

“Nalulubog sa utang ang mga guro dahil sa kapos na sweldo at para mag-abono sa mga kakulangan ng gobyerno dahil laging sinasabi na walang pondo, pero malalaman natin na nawaldas ang P2.4 bilyon para sa mga sobrang mahal na laptop na hindi naman naging kapaki-pakinabang sa trabaho ng mga guro. If we refuse to call that anomalous, then we just don’t want to call spade a spade,” he said.

“It is our moral obligation as teachers to teach and stand for our basic rights, truth and social justice. Hindi titigil ang mga guro sa paghalungkat sa katotohanan sa likod ng ma-anomalyang isyu ng laptop ng DepEd para sa mga guro. Isasakdal at pananagutin natin kung sinuman ang nagsamantala at nakinabang sa paghihirap ng mga guro at ng mga estudyanteng nagdusa sa kawalan ng sapat na suporta sa distance learning. Hindi rin papayag ang mga guro na habang-buhay na lamang silang binabarat. Sisingilin natin ang napakahabang utang ng pamahalaan sa kaguruan sa mga sweldo at benepisyo, sa labis na pagpapatrabaho at pagpapabaya sa edukasyon,” Basilio added.