SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano is pushing for the recognition of education support personnel by declaring May 16 as Education Support Personnel Day.

Cayetano, who chairs the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, signed Senate Bill No. 2872 under Committee Report No. 345, seeking to make this a special working holiday.

The proposed measure defines education support personnel as individuals working in public or private schools in non-teaching or teaching-related roles. These include librarians, guidance counselors, teaching assistants, registrars, and other professional, administrative, technical, and general staff.

If the bill is enacted, an annual program of activities will be organized to celebrate the holiday, led by the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education.

Cayetano said non-teaching personnel are the unsung heroes who play a vital role in a student’s school experience and development.

“Kung ang estudyante ang seed, ang school naman natin y’ung soil,” he said.

“Anuman ang itanim ngayon ng ating mga personnel sa mga paaralan, whether siya ay teacher o librarian, ‘yon ang magiging kahinatnan ng Pilipinas 30 to 40 years from now,” he added.

He noted that having a day dedicated specifically to them will boost the morale of these personnel.

“To my colleagues, let us show our sincere gratitude to our school workers who help shape the future of Filipino youth by passing this bill,” he said.

Cayetano stressed, however, that appreciation should go hand in hand with fair compensation and benefits for education workers.

“Better pay for educators and personnel is equal to better quality education,” he said.

“You cannot claim that education is a priority when the budget shows insufficient allocation for school facilities and low pay for teachers and personnel,” he added.

Cayetano has long advocated for fair recognition and compensation for teachers and other education sector workers, calling them “the backbone of our country’s future.”

“Coming from a family of teachers, I very well understand the plight of our educators, especially those who belong to the public school system,” he said.

“We owe them proper honor and benefits commensurate with their contributions to our society,” he added.