THE SENATE has approved a bill that will increase the supplies allowance of public school teachers starting next year.

With 22 affirmative votes and no negative votes, Senate Bill 1092, or the Teaching Supplies Allowance Act of 2020 was passed on third and final reading.

Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., chairman of the Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, sponsored the bill. He  said once signed into law, it will benefit more than 800,000 public school teachers.

SB 1092, under Committee Report No. 14, is a substitute bill for SB 42 introduced by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto; SB 75 introduced by Revilla; and, SB k957 filed by Sen. Sonny Angara.

Under the measure, each classroom teacher will receive P5,000 for the school years 2021 – 2022 and 2022 – 2023.

The allowance will be increased to P7,500 for the school year 2023 – 2024; and P10,000 for the school year 2024 -2025 onwards.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, co-author of the measure, introduced the amendment spreading out the proposed increase of teaching supplies allowance to enable the government to shoulder the additional cost.

The bill mandates the Department of Education to conduct a periodic review and recommend the necessary increase based on the current prices of the materials.

“The bill also provides the amount necessary for the grant of teaching supplies allowance per teacher shall be charged against the appropriations of the DepEd under the General Appropriations Act,” Revilla said.

At present, each public school teacher receives a supply allowance of P3,500 a year.