Proposed Salary Standardization Law 3 unfair to public school teachers

NEWS RELEASE

References:
William Alterado ACT-Cebu City Chairperson
Benjie Paragsa ACT-Cebu City Secreray General


The Alliance of Concerned Teachers today criticized a proposed public sector wage hike bill pending in the House of Representatives for favoring military and uniformed personnel over employees in the civilian bureaucracy.

According to ACT Cebu City Chairperson, House Joint Resolution No. 24 will grant higher pay increases to military and police personnel relative to professionals in the civilian bureaucracy, such as teachers, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and doctors.

House Joint Resolution No. 24, “Joint Resolution Urging the President of the Philippines to Modify the Compensation and Position Classification System of the Government and to Implement the Same Initially Effective July 1, 2009, and Authorizing the Amendment of Existing Laws and Issuances Contrary to the Provisions of this Resolution,” was drafted by the Department of Budget and Management and the Civil Service Commission and filed by Speaker Prospero Nograles on September 16, 2008. “Therefore, it is the Arroyo administration’s public sector wage hike proposal,” said Alterado, noting that there were numerous other proposed bills pertaining to salaries pending in the House.

To his part Benjie Paragsa Secretary General of ACT Cebu City said that “While we do not begrudge military and police personnel the pay increases that will be granted them, we do resent the fact that the Arroyo administration has consistently focused on upgrading the pay of uniformed personnel while neglecting to do the same for the civilian bureaucracy,” He pointed out that while Malacañang imposed a wage freeze on civilian personnel from 2001 to 2007, during the same period it substantially upgraded the salaries and benefits of military and police personnel. “Unfortunately, we’re seeing the same bias in the administration’s current proposal.”

ACT revealed that at a recent meeting of a Technical Working Group, DBM officials explained that a Police Officer I or Private will receive a total monthly compensation (which includes basic pay and allowances) of P19,800; a Cadet in the Philippine National Police Academy will receive P25,140; and a 2nd Lieutenant, P34,218. On the other hand, a Teacher I or Nurse I will receive P20,549; an Accountant I will receive P21,940; a doctor or lawyer (Medical Officer I or Attorney I) will receive P28,878. “In this proposal, a Cadet in the PNPA will be paid 22% higher than a public school teacher,” said Tinio. “In fact, the Cadet will have the same basic salary as an Associate Professor I in our state universities and colleges. That’s a tenured Ph.D. holder sharing the same pay grade as a plebe in the academy. Is that fair to professionals in the civilian bureaucracy?”

“We appeal to the members of the House as well as the House leadership, particularly Speaker Nograles and Committee on Appropriations chairman Junie Cua, to heed our call for fairness and uplift the pay and status of teachers and other professionals in the civilian bureaucracy,” said Alterado. “In particular, our demand is for a P9,000 increase in the total compensation of teachers, from the current P14,026 to P23,026.”

Alterado made his appeal during a candle lighting of public school teachers in Fuente Osmenia Clock in Cebu City. This symbolic event signals our determination to carry on this struggle for decent salaries for teachers and other professionals in government.”#