VICE President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte yesterday praised teachers for their hard work and sacrifices, especially amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, in her message for the National Teacher’s Month celebration.
But Duterte’s message did not give specifics on benefits the government will provide to teachers, such as salary increase that groups like the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) have repeatedly pressed for.
For teacher groups such as ACT, the celebration of the National Teachers Month would have been more meaningful if the government addressed their concerns with concrete solutions.
The group said these should include the upgrading of salary, safe school reopening and doubling of education budget for 2023.
“The state of education is best reflected in the conditions of our teachers as they bear all the problems of the education system. For education to recover from the learning crisis, uplifting the conditions of our teachers is core and essential,” said Vladimer Quetua, ACT Chairperson.
Quetua said if President Marcos Jr. is really serious in making good on his election promise that his administration will care for the teachers and of education, he should use the National Teachers Month celebration to state in public the policies and programs he would implement to uplift the basic education program and the welfare of the teachers.
He said the government must also provide teachers with laptops, P1,500 a month in internet allowance, and P10,000 a year cash allowance.
He said the government must overhaul the implementation of the K to 12 program and ensure that the budget provided to the education sector is equivalent to at least six percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
In her message, Duterte also acknowledged the role of the teachers in nation-building as well as in molding the minds of the next generation of Filipinos.
“As I have said before, teachers play a huge role in the development of the nation.
Teachers help in molding the Filipino youth so that they will be able to achieve their dream of becoming professional and productive members of society,” she said.
Duterte said the dedication and professionalism of Filipino teachers in doing their job, even in challenging situations and conditions, should not be belittled, adding their integrity also helps guide students to do better in their studies.
“Your integrity serve as a guide for the youth to wholeheartedly accept learning and ideas that will help them achieve their ambition in life. For that, I salute you, Ma’am and Sir,” she said.
The DepEd chief said she comes from a family of educators, adding that her great grandmother, Fortunata Gonzales-Roa, served as a public school teacher at the Cabadbaran South Central Elementary School in Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte for many years.
She said her grandmother, Soledad Roa Duterte was also an educator who helped put up a school for Lumad children in Davao City.
“And, as a child, I could still remember the many times I sat at the table with my mother, Elizabeth, to check the test papers of her students in the Philippine Women’s College in Davao,” she added.
As such, Duterte said she fully understands the sacrifices of teachers, especially those deployed in far-flung areas of the country and the challenges they face in their stations.
“Our teachers deserve respect and admiration for their undying dedication to guiding and helping our learners, parents, and guardians when the whole world had to shift to home learning drastically because of the pandemic,” she said. “And when we opened our doors to in-person learning, teachers were again at the forefront. You did not pay heed to the difficulties, criticism, and even the fear due to the still raging pandemic. I am in awe of your fortitude.”
To recall, the DepEd shifted to blended learning (use of modules and online) in 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Most of the more than 44,000 public elementary and secondary schools in the country resumed face-to-face learning when classes started last month, though the DepEd set November 2 as the date for the return of in-person classes in all public and private schools.
Aside from the challenges posed by the pandemic, Duterte also said teachers were confronted by natural disasters that damaged or destroyed their classrooms.
The department has proposed a P86.5 billion budget for 2023 for the construction of classrooms to address the shortage in the country. The amount could build 34, 551 schools nationwide.
Duterte’s message, however, did not state specifics on the benefits that will be provided the teachers, except to say that the DepEd, under her watch, will endeavor to provide them support.
Earlier, DepEd spokesperson Michael Tan Poa said the department is looking at non-monetary benefits to teachers as well as easing their workload by lessening their administrative duties.
