DISENTE AT ABOT-KAYANG NG PABAHAY, KARAPATAN NG MGA GURO, OBLIGASYON NG GOBYERNO

(TDC Position on the Proposed Housing Program for Teachers, HBs 2030, 4075, 5359 and 9363)

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) recognizes and fully supports all the bills filed in this honorable chamber that seek to provide a housing program for our public mentors. Every Filipino citizen has the desire to own a home, and our government must take serious steps to make this a reality, especially for the people that are tasked with teaching our future generation, our public school teachers. Regretfully, the dream remains just that—a dream. Low salaries prevent us from achieving this goal. The more reasonably priced private housing options are located far from our workplace, which would burden us with commuting difficulties and would require us to incur high transportation cost on a daily basis. Housing loan options offered by state funds like Pag-ibig and GSIS are too expensive and inaccessible for many of us. LGU assistance could be possible, but it would depend on their capacity and willingness. Thus, many of our teachers remain in transient status, renting apartments large enough to accommodate a newlywed couple. Even worse, some reside in urban poor communities or relocation areas designated for demolished informal settler families.

Teachers are in debt. According to a study by Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) cited by the DepEd in 2017, the propensity to borrow among our teachers is 50% higher compared to other professionals. The Department of Education (DepEd) attributed this tendency primarily to teachers' lack of financial literacy. We do not concur.

The three main reasons teachers take out loans are health and emergency medical costs, their own and their dependents' education and to finance their dream of owning a home.  First, teachers spend on their own in the event of any health-related concern, despite the provision of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (RA 4670) for free medical check-ups, hospitalizations, and even medication. Also, teachers enroll in post-graduate studies to further strengthen their capacities and acquire the most recent teaching methods and other skills required to improve their instruction. Lastly, teachers, just like anybody else, deserve a decent abode that fits their profession, the noblest of all, as they say. These three main reasons we believe share something in common; all of them should be given free by the government, their employer.

Sa kasalukuyan ay halos nasa ilalim na tayo ng krisis sa edukasyon. Napakaraming salik kung bakit tayo umabot sa ganito kababang antas. Subalit ang ginagawang solusyon ng ating pamahalan, partikular ang Department of Education (DepEd) ay hindi talaga tumutugon sa suliranin. Habang kinikilala namin ang pangangailangan sa pagbabago sa curriculum, pagdaraos ng mga kinailangang pagsasanay gaya ng nagaganap ngayong In-Service Traning for Teachers (INSET), mga teaching and learning intervention gaya ng catch-up Fridays at National Learning Camp (NLC), professional development policies gaya ng CPD requirements at iba pa, nais naming hamunin ang pamunuan ng DepEd at ang ating Kongreso, UNAHIN ANG KAPAKANAN NG ATING MGA GURO. Simple po lamang, itaas ang sahod, bawasan ang administrative tasks, maglaan ng budget para sa sapat na classroom at mga bagong guro, tiyakin na ang GSIS ay makakatulong sa mga kawani lalo sa kanilang pagreretiro, at magbigay ng mga non-monetary benefits gaya ng health services, libreng post-graduate studies at higit sa lahat sariling tahanan para sa mga guro at kanilang pamilya. 

For these reasons, we call on the leadership of the House of Representatives to immediately pass these proposals and ensure the following:

1. Guarantee that each individual teacher may avail of the program;

2. Affordable housing program for teachers with minimal fees, if not totally free;

3. Decent and standard housing that could accommodate an average number family; and

4. Housing units must be located in the localities where schools are situated.  

Uulitin po namin ang lagi naming sinasabi, anuman ang programa sa edukasyon na hindi nagbibigay ng sapat na konsiderasyon sa karapatan, kagalingan at dignidad ng mga guro ay mabibigo. 

Maraming Salamat po!

(For the hearing of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development Chaired by Hon. Francisco B. Benitez, January 24, 2024)

Source: TDC

Photo credit to Teachers Dignity Coalition