NorCot teachers welcome solons' support for pay hike

KIDAPAWAN
CITY (Sept. 28) – Education officials and teachers in North Cotabato today welcomed
the support extended by the province’s lawmakers on calls for an increase in
teachers’ basic pay.

Dr.
Omar Obas, North Cotabato Schools Division superintendent, said he was personally
happy for the gesture of the congressional lawmakers in giving recognition to
the teachers cry for pay hike.

Obas said the support was a concrete manifestation that they (lawmakers) truly value
education in their hearts.

We
are elated they truly recognize the efforts of our teachers in providing
quality and relevant education in this part of the republic,” Obas said.

A
teacher in Kidapawan City who asked not to be named said she and her colleagues
have to resort to legitimate side line” to earn extra income for the family.

The
cost of living is really high, beyond reach even for a government employee like
us,” she said, adding that her pay as Teacher 2 would not be enough for her
family of four.

Earlier,
Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) partylist posted in the social media the
names of solos who voted yes and who did not for the passage of a bill calling
for teachers’ pay hikes.

In
North Cotabato, according to act-teachers.com, only Representatives Jesus
Sacdalan and Jose Tejada, 1st and 3rd district
representatives, have voted yes for the bill.

This
angered Rep. Nancy Catamco who claimed the data posted in the act-teachers.com
website saying she did not signed for the proposed Hose Bill 245 was untrue and
has maligned her reputations.

The
partylist group posted on its site and//www.act-teachers.com/ www.act-teachers.com Has your district congressman/woman signed up for your salary increase?”

Rep.
Catamco's name was marked NO,” which could mean she did not sign as co-author of
the bill.

Rep.
Antonio Tinio of Alliance of Concern teachers (ACT) Party list filed House Bill
245, An Act Increasing the Minimum Monthly Salaries of Public School teachers
to Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (P25,000) and Non-Teaching Personnel to Fifteen
Thousand Pesos (P15,000).”

I
signed. I was shocked seeing my name claiming I did not support the proposal,”
Rep. Catamco said.

Catamco
issued the statement after the link went viral in the social media and among
the ranks of the teachers in North Cotabato.

I
don’t know where this data came from. And Rep. Tinio owe to me an
explanations,” Rep. Catamco said.

The
lady solon clarified she was not against any move for salary increase of the
teachers who she consider as moulders of our country and even risking their
lives in difficult mission during elections.”

I
am 100 percent supporting the bill. It pains me why I was not included in the
list,” Catamco added.