Week 9 - 2nd Quarter Daily Lesson Log | October 7

Happy World Teachers’ Day fellow Teachers!

We’ve been together for three years now. We had a lot of struggles in our beloved profession but we made it to this new school year together – supporting and sharing our knowledge for the welfare of each other. We are always there for each other as we dream of a smooth and productive school year. Together we will withstand any challenges. And now, we have uploaded our Week 9 – 2nd Quarter Daily Lesson Log | October 7 – 11, 2019 DLL

Thanks to all our Contributors, File Editors and Tech Volunteers who manage our website contents as well as our social media selflessly without reservations. Thanks to all of you for your continued support and your collective notions.

And now as we start on another journey with our students and new challenges that are yet to come, we shall stick together as one – a solid DepEd Teachers Club!

No Teacher left behind.

This week’s News that matter:

DepEd’s Clarifications on ‘Confirmed’ Benefits, Allowances Due this Year

For “reference and information” of all concerned employees, the Department of Education (DepEd) has issued a clarification on the “confirmed” benefits and allowances to be given before this year ends.

Recently, DepEd Undersecretary for Finance Service and Education Programs Delivery Unit Annalyn Sevilla said she was “asked on the veracity of the list of benefits and allowances that are due to be paid to all DepEd employees on or before November 15, 2019.”

As a response, Sevilla confirmed that the year-end bonus – which is equivalent to one month’s salary and to be given on or after November 15 has been confirmed as well as the P5,000 Cash Gift also to be given on or after November 15.

Sevilla also confirmed that the Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) will also be given to DepEd employees in the amount of P5,000 to be given not earlier than December 15 per Department of Budget (DBM) Circular 2017-4 and EO 201 series of 2016.

PBB ‘not automatic’. Continue Reading.

UPDATE: More Senators Push for Teachers Salary Increase

Several senators on Friday joined the mounting call to increase the salaries of public school teachers in recognition of the critical role they play in the lives of the youth and in nation-building in time for the celebration of National Teachers’ Day, which is being observed on October 5 (Saturday).

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri vowed to prioritize the bills proposing pay hikes and additional grants to teachers filed in the Senate.

“Our teachers deserve more than we have managed to give them such as salary increases in line with the Salary Standardization Law in 2015 mandating a series of increases in four years that ends this year,” Zubiri said.

“Government has promised to institute another round of government pay hikes. We will initiate the push for pay hikes in the Senate,” he added.

Zubiri noted that he particularly filed Senate Bill No. 104, which seeks a PHP10,000 monthly additional pay, a grant of bigger chalk allowance, PHP1,000 annual medical check-up allowance and giving the long-delayed yet much-deserved Magna Carta benefits.

Senator Sonny Angara, meanwhile, said the adjustment in the salary grades of teachers is justified considering the rising cost of living in the country.

Angara filed Senate Bill 131, which calls for an increase in the starting pay of public school teachers, from the present Salary Grade 11 (PHP20,754) to Salary Grade 19 (PHP45,269) based on the fourth tranche of the Salary Standardization Law.

Senator Pia Cayetano, on the other hand, said the pay hike is the “best affirmation” of government’s high regard for the country’s educators and their contributions to nation-building.

Cayetano authored Senate Bill No. 70, which proposes additional support and compensation for educators.

She said the salary hike shall be granted over three years in three tranches, starting with a PHP4,000 monthly pay hike in the first year, an additional PHP3,000 per month in the second year, and a final increment of PHP3,000 per month in the third year. Continue Reading.

UPDATE on Teaching Supplies Allowance Act of 2019

Republic Act No. 4670 otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers mandates that the salaries of public school teachers “shall be such as to insure teachers a reasonable standard of life for themselves and their families. ” Unfortunately, the salaries of public school teachers are currently bound by the Salary Standardization Law (SSL), hence, compensation increases would be subject to comparisons with the qualifications, skills and difficulties of other positions in the government. Thus,one of the urgent ways to respond to the clamor of our public school teachers for much needed support is to grant them with additional benefits in the form of cash allowances which would not be subject to the SSL.

The salaries of our public school teachers are unquestionably not commensurate with the volume of work and responsibility entrusted to them. Aside from spending for their personal and family needs, teachers also have to shell out some more money from their own pockets for the materials they use in teaching. This is on top of the current P3,500 annual teaching supplies allowance they receive from the FY 2019 DepEd budget. In spite of the increasing budget allocation that the Department enjoys, the cash allowance they provide to teachers just translates to a 16-peso subsidy per day, which is relatively insufficient in assisting classroom teachers to deliver informative lectures and stimulating class discussions to the country’s 22.1 million public school students.

Teachers should be given priority attention, they being contributors to the mental development and the formation of moral and ethical values of our youth. With this additional allowance, the burden on public school teachers will be alleviated and their working conditions will certainly improve.

“TEACHING SUPPLIES ALLOWANCE ACT OF 2019” was filed on October 1, 2019 and is now Pending for Second Reading. It was prepared and submitted jointly by the Committee(s) on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, Basic Education, Arts and Culture, Ways and Means and Finance with Senators Ralph G. Recto, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Sonny Angara, Win Gatchalian and Pia S. Cayetano as Authors per Committee Report No. 14, Recommending its Approval in substitution of: Continue Reading.