• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Teachers from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Union – Negros Island Region and the Bacolod City Public School Teachers Federation (BCPSTF) yesterday formally presented a set of urgent demands through a “Teachers’ Wishlist.”
The event, which coincided with National Teachers’ Month, highlighted what the groups described as the worsening plight of teachers.
The Teachers’ Wishlist includes a demand for a P50,000 entry-level salary for Teacher I, a substantial increase in the national education budget, expanded health and welfare benefits, overtime and overload pay, and a living wage for all.
“Our education system is near the brink of collapse as years of neglect, of anti-teacher and anti-people policies, of corrupt leadership, have robbed the education sector of the support it so desperately needs,” ACT-NIR Secretary-general Grace Abellar said.
The groups are calling on the government to provide concrete action to match its public praise for teachers, emphasizing that despite their critical role in shaping the nation’s future, they remain underpaid and overworked.
“We articulate that our teachers deserve better wages, better benefits, teacher protection, and a better education system where classrooms are well maintained, and students are comfortable as we embark in the teaching process,” Abellar added.
The group also added to their wishlist that as the curriculum changes, the Department of Education should also allocate a budget for materials and training for teachers.
They emphasized that if the government can spend billions on flood control projects, they can also support the education sector.*
