BACOLOD CITY — Some 3,000 teachers in Negros Occidental who are members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) – Negros went on mass leave on Friday on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day.
The teachers, mostly from Bacolod, were joined by their colleagues from the neighboring cities of Talisay, Silay, Bago and town of Murcia, during a program and a boodle fight at the Rizal Elementary School here. They also held a protest march and a noise barrage,
The group, headed by ACT-Negros president Gualberto Dajao, said in a press statement that they vehemently protest and grieve the plight of Filipino teachers suffering from overwork, underpay and over tax.
“To show our indignation, we are launching a protest action in the form of mass leave (on) the day teachers are supposed to be honored,” they said.
They also called Oct. 5 a “lesson plan-free day,” adding that the black shirts they were wearing speak for “sadness” over the challenges faced by teachers.
“There is no reason to be happy. Instead, there is reason to protest and demand for just and legitimate demands, like higher salary,” Dajao said.
He added the teachers’ gathering is not just a simple rally as they decided to file a mass leave.
“This is our day, but this is not declared a non-working holiday,” he said.
Dajao said students in public schools in Bacolod did not go to school on Friday as they were already informed of the mass leave the day before. (Erwin Nicavera/PNA)
