AMID the celebration of Labor Day, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian reiterated his call for the passage of the Revised Magna Carta for Public School Teachers or the Senate Bill No. 2493.

The proposed measure aims to introduce substantial amendments to the 57-year-old Magna Carta for Public School Teachers or Republic Act No. 4670 to uphold teachers’ welfare and provide crucial benefits, including calamity leave, educational benefits, and longevity pay.

It also aims to address the conditions for granting special hardship allowance, enhances salary criteria, and protects teachers from out-of-pocket expenses.

The bill also provides that probationary teachers shall have the same or equally favorable salaries, benefits, and work conditions as entry-level teachers.

“Alalahanin natin ang dedikasyon sa trabaho ng ating mga guro. Sila ang humuhubog sa galing at kakayahan ng ating mga mag-aaral kaya itaguyod natin ang mas mataas na sahod at mas maayos na kabuhayan para sa kanila. Tiyakin din natin na nasa mabuti silang kalagayan upang ipagpatuloy ang hindi mapapantayan nilang sakripisyo,” said Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

The proposed measure also reduces classroom teaching hours from six to four to improve teachers’ working conditions.

Teachers, however, may render up to eight hours of service when the exigencies of the service require.

Those who render these additional hours are entitled to compensation equivalent to their regular remuneration plus at least 25% of their basic pay.

The bill also allows for the temporary hiring of substitute teachers when an incumbent teacher is on leave.

Furthermore, the bill prohibits the assignment of non-teaching tasks to teachers.

Gatchalian recalled that despite efforts to allow teachers to focus on teaching, the Second Congressional Commission on Education flagged that public school teachers continue to be burdened by 50 non-teaching or administrative tasks.