AFTER pushing for a 100-percent increase in the salaries of soldiers and policemen, President Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing to increase the salaries of public school teachers next.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said Duterte instructed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) during the Cabinet meeting on Monday, January 8, to look for ways to raise the teachers' base pay.
"The President also stated that with the second tax reform package, he has instructed DBM and all other agencies to find means to increase the salary of teachers after the initial doubling of salaries for the AFP and the police. So the teachers will be next," Roque told a press conference.
Under the 2017 tax structure, a Teacher 1 with a basic salary of P19,620 used to take home pay of P17,220.86.
But with the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) Act, a Teacher 1 will earn a gross basic pay of P20,179 and have a net take home pay of P20,012.89, according to a recent statement by the Education department.
Roque said Duterte failed to mention the exact amount of proposed salary increase for public school teachers but noted that they may also receive a double pay.
"He (Duterte) did not say how much but he says that they will have to be tangible results of any implementation of the second tax reform package and he said that that should be the increase in teachers’ salary," he said.
"Judging by what he wanted for the PNP and the AFP, it could be that he is also aiming to double the entry salary for teachers," he added. (VoxPop Philippines)
