On the eve of World Teachers’ Day, a party-list group urged the government to honor teachers by giving them salary raises and increasing the budget for education. In a statement issued on Monday, the militant group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said teachers are “undervalued" members of the society, and the government still has a long way to go towards repaying teachers. “The hope for a stronger and more progressive nation rests upon our Ma’ams and Sirs who, until now, are undervalued members of our society," said ACT Rep. Antonio Tinio. ACT is thus urging support from government leaders, especially from the House of Representatives, for House Bill 2142 or “The Public School Teachers’ Salary Upgrading Act." Filed in August by Tinio, the bill seeks to upgrade the salary of public school teachers from Salary Grade 11 (or P15,649) to Salary Grade 15 (P24,887). The bill covers public school teachers in elementary and secondary schools, including those from vocation and technical schools, and state universities and colleges. Tinio said at least 54 representatives have signified their support for the bill, including Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, by acting as the bill’s co-authors. “HB 2142 (however) still has several hurdles to overcome: it needs more than twice its current support for it to be passed; a counterpart bill in the Senate; and the signature of a president who prefers short-term solutions to poverty, like conditional cash transfers, than long-term solutions such as what the Constitution itself mandates – the highest budgetary priority given to education," Tinio said. He likewise sought government attention to other issues confronting public school teachers:
salary deductions by the Government Service Insurance System; the lower budget being proposed for education; the inadequate pay for teachers who served during the May 2010 elections, and the low pay for teachers in the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 25. Global call for teachers’ welfare In a joint statement, various international organizations have called on governments to improve the status and economic conditions of millions of teachers across the world. “Low status, low salary and poor working conditions infringe on the rights of teachers whilst discouraging talented young people from joining and remaining in the teaching profession," the statement read. “Governments are therefore urged to continue investing in viable national policies and programmes for teacher training, recruitment, and incentives so that teachers remain and develop within the profession," it added. The statement’s signatories include the: United Nations educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); United Nations Children’s Fund; United Nations Development Programme, Education International, and International Labour Organization (ILO). The groups said the world still needs some 10.3 million new teachers to reach internationally agreed targets by 2015. They likewise commended educators, particularly female teachers, for choosing to serve in conflict areas where poverty, violence and diseases pose extreme challenges. “There are those who are seeking to ensure the right to education of 18.5 million refugee children throughout the world. In countries affected by conflict, teachers are instrumental to reconstruction and peace-building," the groups noted. “Recovery begins with teachers. We can best honour teachers by giving them decent working conditions to fulfil their mission of preparing the younger generation to become responsible citizens, equipped with the knowledge and skills to shape a sustainable future," they further said. World Teachers’ Day is held annually on October 5 since 1994, to commemorate the anniversary of the signing in 1966 of the Unesco/ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers. “It is an occasion to celebrate the essential roles of teachers in providing quality education at all levels," UNESCO said. DepEd’s ‘grand celebration’ Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) said in an earlier release that it is ready for the “grand celebration" of World Teachers’ Day. “We are hoping that through this celebration, with all efforts put into it, we will achieve our very purpose of putting our teachers in the pedestal because that is where they should be. They are noble souls who teach simply to make a positive difference," said Education Sec. Armin Luistro. The theme of the October 5 celebration is “My Teacher, My Hero." At 10:05 a.m. a prayer for teachers was said throughout the country. Several activities have been scheduled at the DepEd Complex on World Teachers Day: open house in all DepEd offices; medical check-up and health services by the Health and Nutrition Center; promotional booth and product sampling by the Administrative/General Services Division; workshops on wellness and stress management; personality and communication skills enhancement, and livelihood and entrepreneurial skills. –VVP, GMANews.TV 
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