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:
- Senate Bill No. 1092: Teaching Supplies Allowance Act of 2019
- Senate Bill No. 42: Teaching Supplies Allowance Act
- Senate Bill No. 75: Teaching Supplies Allowance Act of 2019
- Senate Bill No. 957: Teaching Supplies Allowance Act of 2019
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINE
First Regular Session
SENATE
Senate Bill No. 1092
(In Substitution to Senate Bill Nos. 42, 75 and 957)
Prepared jointly by the Committees of 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
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE GRANT OF A TEACHING SUPPLIES
ALLOWANCE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representative of the Philippines in Congress assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Teaching Supplies Allowance Act of 2019′.
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to promote and improve the economic status of teachers and assist them in providing quality education to their students.
Sec. 3. Teaching Supplies Allowance. – A Teaching Supplies Allowance for the purchase of chalks, erasers, forms, and other classroom supplies and materials in the amount of Five thousand pesos (PhP5,000.00) per teacher per school year is hereby authorized
Sec. 4. Coverage. — The grant of the cash allowance authorized in this Act shall be limited to teachers who are engaged in actual classroom teaching in public basic education.
Sec. 5. Funding. – In the first year of the effectivity of this Act, the amount of Two thousand five hundred pesos (PhP2,500.00) per teacher per school year, shall be charged against the current appropriations of the Department of Education (DepEd) for the Teaching Supplies Allowance, while the additional amount of Two thousand five hundred pesos (PhP2,500.00) per teacher per school year, shall be charged against any available funds and/or savings of the DepEd. Thereafter, the amount of Five thousand pesos (PhP5,000.00) per teacher per school year, shall be included in the DepEd budget for the Teaching Supplies Allowance under the General Appropriations Act.
Sec. 6. Periodic Review for Increases. – The Secretary of Education is hereby mandated to conduct a periodic review of the Teaching Supplies Allowance, taking into account the current prices of classroom supplies, and, if warranted, recommend the necessary increase in the amount of the allowance.
Sec. 7. Separability Clause. – If any part, section or provision of this Act is held invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.
Sec. 8. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
Sec. 9. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation.
Approved,
Source:
Copy of Senate Bill No. 1092
AN ACT
INSTITUTIONALIZING THE GRANT OF A TEACHING SUPPLIES
ALLOWANCE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND APPROPRIATING
FUNDS THEREFOR
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