DAVAO CITY — Mayor Sara Duterte on Monday asked the Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Davao (ACT-Davao) chapter to come up with “doable, acceptable and reasonable” solution to help thousands of Department of Education (DepEd) personnel, pointing out that there is no law to back up the group’s demand for hundreds of millions in yearly aid.
ACT-Davao has demanded that the city foot the bill for the PHP2,000 monthly financial subsidy for some 11,959 teaching and non-teaching staff in the city, including a PHP2,500 quarterly rice subsidy. The aid could easily translate to around PHP406 million a year.
“Subsidies to teachers and non-teaching staff of DepEd are also not allowed for Special Education Fund use,” the mayor said in a press statement.
Nevertheless, the mayor said the local government has been extending financial assistance to the personnel of national line agencies, including DepEd. She said she is also willing to find a way to assist public educators and address their concerns.
During one of the regular sessions of the City Council last month, ACT-Davao President Reynaldo Pardillo said the take-home pay of the teachers ranges from PHP5,000 to PHP9,000 after loans and other institutional obligations.
Pardillo said the income range was not enough for the daily needs of their families. He claimed that other local government units extend allowances to DepEd teachers and other personnel to supplement their meager salary.
For instance, he said, Quezon City provides a monthly allowance of PHP2,000 monthly allowance and a budget for health examination, while Makati City gives a monthly allowance of PHP3,500 and PHP500 for rice subsidy.
Mayor Sara said she is willing to entertain ACT-Davao’s proposal but the group must come up with a compromise that would be legal and within the city government’s ability to pay. (Lilian C Mellejor/PNA)
