A RANKING official of the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition on Sunday said their group will be attending the signing of the law granting a P10,000 annual teaching allowance for public school teachers.

The bill, approved by the House of Representatives as HB 9682 and the Senate as SB 1964, will be signed by President Bongbong Marcos on Monday, June 3.

“Bagama’t maliit na halaga kumpara sa pangangailangan ng mga guro, makatutulong na rin ito upang mabawasan ang bigat ng gastusin sa araw-araw naming pagtuturo, said Benjo Basas, a Caloocan City teacher and National Chairperson of the TDC.

The TDC is one of the organizations that actively pushed for the passage of the law and consistently participated in the congressional hearings in the House and Senate. Basas, along with some leaders of the TDC and other organizations, are among the official guests at Malacañang to witness the ceremonial signing.

The anticipated law, to be known as the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act, will provide public school teachers with a tax-free P10,000 Teaching Allowance beginning in the School Year 2025-2026. For the School Year 2024-2025, however, teachers will receive the current amount of P5,000.

Basas said the P10,000 annual allowance falls short of meeting the teachers’ needs to fulfill teaching requirements.

“Totoong kulang ang sampung libo sa isang taon dahil halos lahat ng aming pangangailangan kasama na ang laptop, internet connection, printer at iba pa ay sa sariling bulsa namin kinukuha. Gayunpaman, nagpapasalamat pa rin kami dahil ang batas na ito ay produkto ito ng sama-samang pakikilahok ng mga guro at pakikipagtulungan ng mga mambabatas. Patunay rin na may kinahihinatnan ang aming mga adbokasiya at ipinaglalaban, Basas explained.

Public school teachers engaged in actual teaching previously received a similar allowance, known as the chalk allowance, which slowly increased to P3,500 in 2020 and was renamed Cash Allowance. Since 2021, the allowance has also covered internet and communication expenses, as well as the supposedly free annual medical examination of teachers, for a total of P5,000.

While the TDC recognizes the increase in the teaching allowance, the group vowed to continue campaigning for a salary increase, with more than 30 versions of such proposals currently pending in both houses of Congress.

“Kung makakausap namin ang Pangulo bukas (June 3), hihilingin namin na tugunan niya ang mga panukalang ito na bahagi rin naman ng kanyang pangako noong 2022,” Basas ended.