MANILA — A public school teachers’ group has dropped out of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) in the National Capital Region (NCR), saying it no longer sees the association as capable of representing and fighting for the rights of its members.
In a radio interview on Wednesday, Department of Education (DepEd) Teachers Union-NCR-National Labor Union president Cynthia Ibale Villarin said she and more than 3,000 public school teachers have dissociated themselves from ACT-NCR and established their own union “because they believe it has not performed what it has promised” to them.
Villarin expressed dismay over the contents of the group’s collective negotiation agreement (CNA).
“We reviewed their CNA and only dental benefits were included, subject to the availability of funds. The content of their CNA is very dry,” she said.
ACT-NCR signed a CNA with the DepEd-NCR on May 26, 2015 covering a period of three years or until May 26, 2018.
Villarin explained that they do not have to inform DepEd about their concerns yet as they have to gather 10 percent or the support and signatures of 66,000 public school teachers in the NCR to process their accreditation as the official teachers’ union representative or sole negotiator with the government.
She added that one of their biggest concerns is involving teachers in street rallies. She also said that they would no longer hold discussions with ACT-NCR, which she observed as left-leaning.
“It is difficult for groups to stay together if others have lost faith because our biggest concern is involving our teachers in street rallies),” Villarin said.
“We are tired of rallies, promises. Various issues are being brought up. There are the issues of Lumad, imperialism. We teachers are wondering,” she added.
Villarin said their separation from ACT-NCR would help all public school teachers nationwide.
ACT-NCR is the sole and exclusive collective bargaining agent of teachers and non-teaching personnel of the DepEd in the region. (With Jomari Castigador, OJT/PNA)
