Human Rights Online Philippines

Teachers, DEPED employees welcome Teachers’ month celebration

Teachers and employees of the Department of Education (DepEd) welcome the commencement of the National Teachers’ Month celebration in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 242 signed by President Benigno Aquino III last year.

“The non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education (DepEd) join our teachers in celebrating the National Teachers’ Month and we call on the Aquino government to provide better compensation to our teachers by declaring the P9000 salary increase of teachers and education workers and the provision of additional of additional P3000 personal emergency relief allowance as priority of his administration. That would be the best gift for the country’s unsung untiring teachers.” Said Atty. Domingo Alidon, president of the DepEd National Employess’ Union (DepEd NEU).

On his part, Benjo Basas, a public school teacher in Caloocan City and the national chairperson of Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) welcomes the celebration and express gratitude to the government for issuing a legal declaration of the celebration.

“We have been lobbying for a declaration of National Teachers’ Holiday every 5th of October, the day declared by UNESCO as World Teachers’ Day in 1994, yet the president gave us the whole month, from September 5 to October 5 of every year as National Teachers’ Month and we appreciate the gesture.” He said.

Basas noted that prior to last year’s declaration, the commemoration of October 5 was only marked by token celebrations. He also cited the official celebration of some countries in South East Asia which was began as early as 1956 in Malaysia, 1957 in Thailand and 1958 in Vietnam.

The TDC however said that the best way to celebrate the nobility of teaching profession is to recognize their value in terms of compensation and not through praises.

“Filipino teachers are among the world’s least paid teachers. Yet, the Philippine state recognizes the important role of teachers in the society and actually mandates that teachers should be given adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfilment.” Basas furthered quoting some provisions of 1987 Constitution.

Both groups push for the P9000increase in salaries of teachers and DepEd personnel which were pending before the Senate and the additional P3000 for their personal emergency relief allowance (PERA), both proposals were initiated by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

On Wednesday, September 5, some 200 members of the TDC with the support of NEU will stage ‘boodle fight’ to symbolize the socio-economic condition of public school teachers.

“We do hope that our lawmakers, who always exalt teachers in their political speeches, will not fail us.” Basas ended. #

For details:
Benjo Basas
TDC National Chair
0920-5740241/ 3853437

Atty. Domingo Alidon
President, DepEd NEU
0915-5427627/ 6371241

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