Senate Senior Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito is pushing for a P10,000 across-the-board increase in the basic monthly salary of all public elementary and secondary school teachers as one of his priority measures in the 20th Congress.
Filed under Senate Bill No. 335, or the “Dagdag Suweldo Para sa mga Guro” Act, the bill seeks to grant all public school educators an additional P10,000 in monthly basic pay, regardless of their length of service.
Ejercito highlighted the demanding nature of the teaching profession, stressing that educators perform extensive work beyond classroom instruction to mentor and guide Filipino students.
“Araw-araw, hindi lang pagtuturo ang ginagawa ng ating mga guro. Naghahanda sila ng lessons, nagche-check ng mga papel, gumagawa ng reports at higit sa lahat, inaalagaan at ginagabayan nila ang ating mga estudyante. Nakikita natin ang kanilang pagod at sakripisyo,” Ejercito said.
The lawmaker from San Juan said that upgrading teachers’ compensation is crucial to improving their living standards and ensuring that top talent remains within the public school system.
“Hindi madaling maging guro. Malaki ang responsibilidad nila, pero madalas ay malaki rin ang sakripisyo na kailangang gawin para matupad ang kanilang tungkulin. Kaya panahon na para mas maipakita natin ang ating pagpapahalaga sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng dagdag-sahod,” he noted.
Ejercito framed the measure as a vital investment in national development, maintaining that educational quality cannot be separated from the economic well-being of frontline educators.
“Hindi natin makakamit ang de-kalidad na edukasyon kung ang mga taong nasa frontline nito ay patuloy na nahihirapan sa kanilang kabuhayan,” he said.
Reaffirming his commitment to public school teachers, Ejercito added, “para sa ating mga guro, alam naming hindi matutumbasan ng anumang halaga ang inyong sakripisyo. Pero nais nating ipakita na hindi namin kayo nakakalimutan.”