By Hilda Austria/Philippine News Agency
MALASIQUI, Pangasinan — Department of Education (DepEd) personnel in Pangasinan have welcomed the impending salary increase for teachers, nurses and other government officials announced by President Rodrigo Duterte in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
DepEd Dagupan Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Lorna Bugayong thanked the President for the salary increase although it would be lower than the amount they were requesting for.
“Alam naman natin na pinakamalaking bureaucracy ang DepEd kaya hindi rin kakayanin na ibigay ang PHP30,000. Mahihirapan talaga ang gobyerno lalong-lalo na ang taong bayan kasi sa tax din natin kukunin yang karagdagan sahod. Kung idadaan sa Salary Standardization Law, okay lang naman baka maibigay din PHP30,000 na hiniling kung by tranche na naman ang gagawin kagaya ng ginawa ng dating Pangulo (We all know that DepEd is the biggest bureaucracy so the government will have hard time producing the PHP30,000 increase especially that the amount will come from the tax of the people. If it will be by tranche, maybe, the said amount will be reached accumulatively like what the past President did),” she said in an interview Tuesday.
Pangasinan I Schools Division Superintendent Donato Balderas Jr. also thanked President Duterte for the good news for the academe in the public schools.
“As for the salary increase for teachers and other government employees is most welcome. Thanks to PRRD for including it in his SONA. In doing so, he assures everyone that in the nearest future, it will be realized,” he said.
Kenneth Carl Llamas of East Central Integrated School in Dagupan City said the minimal increase may uplift the plight of the teachers like him.
“That minimal increase that he said may at least uplift the plight of the teachers. Teachers are used to tightening their belts and yet spending more for the betterment of their craft. The thought that finally we are given an augment to our compensation is just the start of the teacher’s upgrade,” he said.
Jezalin Martin of Laoac Elementary School said the additional salary will help them in providing school materials for their lessons.
“It will be a great help for us since we teachers more often than not spend our personal funds in order to buy and provide educational stuffs to our pupils. It will at least motivate teachers to do their job better. We just hope it will be truly implemented,” she said.
The sentiment was shared by Mildred Cordero Castillo, a native of Dagupan City who is teaching at Sto. Tomas National High School in La Union.
“We are hoping that PRRD will be true with his words or promise to us teachers. It may not be that much but at least we know it would be a great help to us. Thank you, President!” she said.
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