Legarda: 2019 Budget Gives Additional Allowance to Teachers

After increasing the chalk allowance of teachers in the past years, Senator Loren Legarda has now introduced a special allowance to public school teachers under the 2019 national budget.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, initiated the allocation of additional P800 million under the Department of Education budget. The said allocation will be given to public school teachers, P1,000 per teacher, every World Teachers’ Day on October 5, as an incentive or honorarium.

Legarda said that the goal is to highlight the value of teachers and the essential role they play in the development of the youth.

“We cannot overemphasize the importance of our teachers. They are our unsung heroes who dedicate their lives to mold the minds of the Filipino youth. They also do other duties for our country by assisting during the elections and aid the Philippine Statistics Authority in gathering data from households across the country,” she said.

“We must advance the social, economic, and professional status of our teachers, who face day-to-day challenges in our education system. It is only fair that the men and women behind our successes receive the benefits and incentives they deserve,” she added.

In the previous budgets, Legarda also supported the increase in the chalk or cash allowance of teachers. The increase in chalk allowance allowed teachers to purchase more classroom supplies that aid them in effectively teaching their students.

In 2015, the chalk allowance of teachers was raised from P1,000 to P1,500. It was increased to P2,500 and P3,500 during years 2017 and 2018, respectively.