After a significant increase on the salary of military and police personnel, President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his promise to increase the salary of public school teachers next.
During a speech before public school teachers and Principals in Davao City on May 4, Duterte was heard saying, “I will raise your salary next,” to which the crowd loudly cheered on.
However, the President said doubling their salary may still not be possible at this time.
“But it would not be doubled. We can’t afford. I’m not blaming anybody, but simply there are too many Filipinos. We lack resources,” he said.
In a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang last January, Duterte had earlier said he wanted to increase teachers’ salaries.
He later affirmed it on the said speech even saying that he wanted to increase it by up to seven-fold.
“Remember, your pay will improve, honest, wait for it, but it will be incremental. It cannot be done at once, you are too many. You will have five times more or seven times more than soldiers,” he said.
Earlier this year, the President specifically instructed the Department of Budget Management and all other agencies to find means to increase the salary of teachers after the second reform package has taken place.
At that time, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque did not disclose how much increase the President wanted for the teachers.
“He did not say how much but he says that they will have to be tangible results of any implementation of the second tax reform package and he said that that should be the increase in teachers,” he said, “But judging by what he wanted for the PNP and the AFP, it could be that he is also aiming to double the entry salary for teachers.”
Source: Inquirer – Duterte to public school teachers: I will raise your salary next
Inquirer – Duterte wants wage increase for teachers, Roque says
