CAGAYAN de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez filed a measure that aims to grant tax exemption to public school teachers as a non-wage benefit.

Under House Bill 9106, all salaries, wages, allowances and benefits granted to public school teachers, including those in state colleges and universities, shall be exempted from withholding taxes.

Rodriguez said it is crucial that teachers get adequate compensation.

“The government must provide compensation and benefits, whether monetary or otherwise, commensurate to the work they perform and the contribution they make to society,” he said.

Teachers, he added, are among the lowest-paid government workers.

He cited in his bill data from the Department of Budget and Management that there are about 880,000 public school teachers in the country.

The teacher-to-student/pupil ratio is 1:29 in the elementary level, 1:25 in high school, and 1:29 in senior high school.

“This highlights the difficulties our teachers face in providing quality education to our students,” Rodriguez said.