ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro expressed dissatisfaction over the 3rd State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. especially for the education sector.

Castro said the President enumerated as achievements and promises several long-standing campaigns of ACT Teachers and education workers, namely, the recently passed Teaching Allowance Act, the end to ‘utang-tagging,’ and the career progression of teachers.

However, he made no mention of the most important issue of teachers nowadays, the P50,000 entry level for teachers.

“Di rin makakampante pa sa ngayon sa pangakong SSL VI ang public school teachers at education support personnel, pati na ang lahat ng nasa public sector hanggang di nila nakikita ang sapat na pondo para rito sa ilalim ng 2024 GAA at 2025 proposed budget na magtitiyak na nakabubuhay na sahod ang ibibigay ng SSL VI,” Castro said.

“For government employees including teachers, the supposed 4 tranche SSL is still just a promise and may again be a pittance like the SSL V, other salary adjustments, and the P35 minimum wage increase in NCR. Also, instead of making job orders and contracts of service workers regular, Pres. Marcos Jr. will just extend their exploitation. As we have said before, we demand an end-to-endo in government,” she added.

“Sa SONA ng mamamayan mariing kahilingan ng ordinaryong Pilipino ay signipikanteng dagdag na sahod at sweldo. Pero walang kongkretong commitment sa sahod sa pribadong sektor at di rin maaasahan ang sinasabi dagdag na sahod daw sa kawani ng gobyerno na malamang ay kakapiranggot na naman,” she further said.

The solon also criticized the President for the lack of concrete plans to address poverty and inequality in the country.

“He banned POGOs but this will not solve poverty, landlessness, malnutrition, foreign intrusion, lack of jobs, high prices of goods and services, lack of industrialization and exploitation. Hindi natatapos sa pag-ban ng POGOs ang laban. Dapat may pagpapanagot sa mga mataas na opisyal na naging protektor at nakikinabang dito,” the solon stressed.