MANILA, Philippines — Amid calls for an increase in the salary of teachers, the Department of Education (DepEd) is pushing for more benefits to be given to them. The DepEd will “review and propose additional benefits for public school teachers,” Undersecretary Annalyn Sevilla told reporters during a visit yesterday at Signal Village National High School in Taguig City, led by Education Secretary Leonor Briones and Taguig City Mayor and representative-elect Lani Cayetano. DepEd had earlier proposed adding so-called “special hardship” and “teaching overload” allowances as forms of honoraria for teachers, Sevilla said at a press briefing. Briones, however, maintained that the government must collect additional taxes to provide the salary increase that they had long been asking, when she was asked again about the pressing concern of salary hike for teachers. Meanwhile, P75 billion worth of additional taxes must also be collected should an increase of P5,000 for teachers’ salaries be approved.

Source: Philippine Star June 03, 2019 16:00 UTC