EDUCATION Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones on Sunday claims that public-school teachers have gained continued improvements in their compensation for almost two decades.
Briones also vowed that the Department of Education (DepEd) will continuously expand the scope of employee welfare and safeguard the personal and professional development of both its teaching and nonteaching personnel—a priority under her 10-point agenda.
“As [DepEd] secretary and, as an advocate, I am committed to the policy to promote and improve the social and economic status of public-school teachers, their living and working conditions, and their terms of employment,” Briones said.
Briones also denied she opposes proposals to hike teachers’ pay, adding she is in full support of President Duterte’s pronouncement to raise the salaries of teachers.
The DepEd reported that from P9,466 under Salary Grade (SG) 10 in 2000, the basic monthly salary of a Teacher I under SG 11 following the final tranche of the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) in 2019 is P20,754, constituting a 119.25-percent increase.
Pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 219, Series of 2000, a Teacher I was classified under SG 10, while a Master Teacher II—the highest teaching position then—was classified under SG 17 with a basic monthly salary of P14,232, which increased to P45,269 in 2019 under SG 19.
The monthly salary of Teacher I was then raised to P9,939 in 2001 following EO 22, and to P10,933 after six years under EO 611, Series of 2007. It was increased to P12,026 a year after pursuant to EO 719.
It was in 2009 when the SG assignment of a Teacher I was raised to 11 with a basic monthly salary of P14,198, which was increased to P18,549 in 2012 under EO 811.
Finally, EO 201 raised their basic monthly salary to P20,754 this year.
Meanwhile, the Master Teacher III and Master Teacher IV positions were created in 2010 and 2012, respectively. From P29,052 under SG 20 in 2010, the basic monthly salary of a Master Teacher III increased to P51,155 in 2019. A Master Teacher IV under SG 21 now receives P57,805 from P34,493 in 2012.
The significant improvement over the years serves as a testament to the Philippine government’s commitment to retaining competent and committed civil servants through ensuring that their compensation is “just and equitable.”
Image credits: Department of Education