Senator Nancy Binay on Thursday renewed her call for the passage of two bills that promote the welfare of teachers.
“Umaasa akong maipasa na ang mga panukalang batas na sinusulong ang kapakanan ng mga guro bilang pagpapasalamat sa serbisyong ginagawa nila. Mas magiging makabuluhan ang ganitong aksyon kaysa simpleng pagbati lang ng Happy Teachers’ Day,” Binay said.
Binay is the author of Senate Bill No. 339, proposing the increasing of the monthly minimum wage of teachers and non-teaching personnel, and SBN 2370, calling for the exemption from tax of honoraria, allowances, and other financial benefits that teachers receive for rendering service during elections.
If passed, SBN 339 raise the minimum salary of public school teachers in elementary and secondary schools P25,439 to P28,000 a month.
The minimum salary of non-teaching personnel in elementary and secondary schools would also be upgraded from P12,517 to P16,000 a month.
Meanwhile, SBN 2370 mandates that all honoraria, allowances, and other financial benefits granted to teachers rendering service during an election period shall not be included in the computation of gross income and shall be exempt from income tax.
Binay said that these two measures would go a long way towards helping teachers cope with the rising cost of living.
“Currently, what our teachers receive is not commensurate to the workload that they have no choice but to deliver. Kaya’t marami sa ating mga guro ang nababaon sa utang dahil kinakapos ang kita para sa kanilang pamilya,” she said.
The two bills are currently pending at the committee level.
World Teachers’ Day is commemorated on October 5.