SENATE  Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano welcomed the Department of Education’s move to finally implement the long-delayed overtime pay for public school teachers.

DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara recently issued DepEd Order 26, which provides guidelines for compensating teachers for overtime work.

The order ensures that teachers who render extra hours beyond their classroom duties will receive at least 25 percent of their regular pay, as mandated by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.

Cayetano, who has long advocated for better compensation and benefits for teachers, said the implementation of this provision marks progress but should not end there.

The senator stressed that this is a step in the right direction toward uplifting the country’s educators.

“I think the task of this 20th Congress is really the radical change that is needed in the education sector,” he said.

Coming from a family of teachers, Cayetano emphasized that educators are the backbone of the nation’s future. In an earlier statement, he noted that he understands the plight of teachers, especially those in the public school system.

“They are the backbone of our country’s future, yet they do not receive the monetary benefits commensurate with their contributions to our society,” he said.

Cayetano added that supporting teachers is essential for improving the overall quality of education in the Philippines.

“We want to support the teachers because sila ‘yung magtuturo sa mga bata,” he said. “Better pay for teachers is equal to better quality education. At hindi tayo mapapagod sa pagsulong ng kalidad na edukasyon para sa kabataang Pilipino.”

He also urged the DepEd and other government agencies to ensure that the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers is fully implemented and that funds for teacher benefits are safeguarded in the national budget.

“Teachers deserve to see these laws working for them, not just on paper but in their actual salaries and benefits,” Cayetano said.