The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Davao Region continues its call for a local allowance and a subsidiary salary increase to all teachers in the city.
“We are still waiting for the Mayor for the update of our request from the local government for a local allowance,” ACT Davao Region President Elenito Escalante said. “Despite the hurtful words of the mayor, we are still optimistic that she will grant our request.”
The group maintains that if other local government units can provide allowance to their teachers, they should also demand it from the city government.
“We are thankful to the Mayor for giving us a P2,000 cash gift along with other government employees in the city (every December). But, other LGUs provide local allowances to their teachers. Even Cebu City provides P10,000 allowance yearly,” Escalante said.
The request for a local allowance and rice subsidy by ACT was initially rejected last year. Mayor Sara Duterte asked the group to submit another proposal lowering the amount of the request.
The group’s initial demand covers P2,000 monthly allowance and a P2,500 quarterly rice subsidy. In October 2018, they submitted another proposal to the City Council lowering it to P1,500 and half a sack rice every quarter.
Escalante also expresses its call for a subsidiary pay hike along with other ACT unions throughout the country.
“(The need for a pay hike) is a national situation. We are a first-class urban city so the prices of the commodities here are somehow at par with those in Manila,” he expressed.
“This is why our demand is for the President to fulfill its promise on subsidiary increase not just for the teachers but also to all government employees,” Escalante added.
Escalante also expressed its dismay on the prioritization for the armed forces to the salary increase.
“Under the current administration, we all know that the priority is on peace and order which gives focus to the military and the police. It seems that the teachers are really not on top of (Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s) priorities. This is why we give this as a challenge to them,” Escalante expressed.
“If we really look into it, the job description of teachers is critical. All teachers are molders of the mind. The future roots on what impressions our students now learn from their teachers,” he called.
