SENATOR Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa assured his full support for the passage of a measure reducing the need for teachers to bear the cost of teaching supplies while providing quality education to their students.

Dela Rosa also commended Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla, Jr. for sponsoring Senate Bill No. 1964 or the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act.

Under the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act, each public school teacher would be secured with P7,500 for School Year 2023-2024; and P10,000 for School Year 2024-2025, and thereafter, as the measure also highlights its value would be adjusted every three years to respond to the changing prices of teaching supplies.

The amount shall be charged from the appropriations of the Department of Education under the General Appropriations Act.

In the Philippines, a public school teacher currently receives only P5,000 worth of teaching supplies allowance which is equivalent to just P25 per day.

Consequently, some teachers would have to dip into their savings to deliver and to perform their classroom duties.

While Dela Rosa hailed the selflessness and ingenuity of the country’s educators, the senator reiterated this is too much for them to afford.

“Sa tingin ko, matagal nang tinitiis ng ating mga guro ang pag-iisip na ‘kaya naman, napagkakasya naman.’ Wala na palang chalk dito sa classroom ko, bibili na lang ako. Wala na palang pang-internet ang aking estudyante, bibigyan ko na lang. At iba pang mga pangangailangan na sa tingin natin ay maliit na bagay,’” Dela Rosa said.

The senator further appealed to the government to put an end to the crisis and for the Senate to offer what it can for the teachers.

“Hindi na natin maaaring pilitin ang ating mga gurong pagkasyahin ang kung ano man ang meron sa kanila. Let us allow our teachers to do what they do best, which is to teach, to ignite the fire of knowledge in our children, and to keep it burning,” Dela Rosa stressed.