Legarda Honors Teachers, Bats for Greater Support for their Welfare

In celebration of World Teachers’ Day (October 5), Senator Loren Legarda lauded the contributions of teachers to our society and assured them of her support through laws and policies that will benefit the entire teaching community.

“Teachers are our unsung heroes who, day in and out, dedicate their lives to molding the minds of the Filipino youth, despite challenges in our education system,” Legarda stressed.

“We owe much of our achievements to the women and men whose perseverance, commitment and selfless dedication benefit not only our students but also the society in general. Government, in turn, should guarantee them adequate support through the expansion of benefits and incentives, and the strengthening of professional development programs for educators,” she said.

As Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Legarda has supported the increase in the chalk or cash allowance of teachers under the national budget. For 2018, chalk allowance of teachers has increased to P3,500 per teacher. In 2017, it was P2,500 per teacher and P1,500 in 2015.

For the proposed 2019 budget of the Department of Education (DepEd), Legarda recommended the creation of an incentive or honorarium for public school teachers to be given every October 5, World Teachers’ Day.

She also asked the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to make a request to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to ensure the inclusion of the P1.5 billion budget to cover for the honorarium of teachers on election duty, as provided in the Election Service Reform Act (ESRA).

“Aside from their teaching duties, teachers are likewise most reliable in serving the general welfare, notably when they serve during election period and when they aid the Philippine Statistics Authority in gathering data from households across the country,” said Legarda.

“Teachers are very important in our society. The value of their commitment to mold the character and values of the youth cannot be overemphasized. We must promote and advance the social, economic, and professional status of teachers and non-teaching personnel commensurate to their invaluable role in national development,” Legarda concluded.