Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the incoming Marcos-Duterte administration to ensure the full implementation of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (Republic Act No. 4670).
Gatchalian highlighted three recommendations, which he believes would have the most impact and should be prioritized for full implementation: decongesting workload, raising salaries, and ensuring adequate health insurance.
Gatchalian said the 19th Congress should prioritize passing a bill that raises the salaries of teachers.
He also recommended for the Department of Education (DepEd) to adopt the proposal of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) to conduct studies on teachers' workload. This is to rationalize the job functions of public school teachers and allow them to allocate more time for teaching.
To provide adequate health insurance to teachers, Gatchalian cited a proposal from the Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS) which shows that for a premium of P400 per teacher, DepEd personnel would each enjoy coverage of up to P120,000. Subsidizing these premiums would only amount to P369.8 million.
"Achieving the full implementation of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers should be a priority for the incoming administration," said Gatchalian.
"It is time for the government to make good on the promises it made to teachers almost six decades ago, yet failed to keep," he added.
Gatchalian emphasized that DepEd is non-compliant with three sections of the Magna Carta. Section 22, for one, provides that public school teachers are entitled to free annual physical examination. While DepEd has provided for some monetary medical assistance since 2019, there is still no program for the annual check-up of teachers as mandated by law, Gatchalian pointed out.
Section 26 has also not been complied with. This section provides that a retiring teacher should be promoted one rank higher and the salary of that rank should be the basis of computation for retirement benefits.
Gatchalian: Magna Carta for Public School Teachers dapat ganap nang ipatupad
Hinimok ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang papasok na Marcos-Duterte administration na tiyakin ang ganap na pagpapatupad ng Republic Act No. 4670 o ang Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.
Binigyang diin ni Gatchalian ang tatlong rekomendasyon na aniya ay dapat bigyang prayoridad: ang pagpapagaan sa workload o trabaho ng mga guro, ang pagtaas sa kanilang mga sahod, at ang pagtiyak na meron silang sapat na health insurance.
Ayon kay Gatchalian, dapat gawing prayoridad ng 19th Congress ang paghain ng panukalang batas na magtataas sa sahod ng mga guro.
Hinimok din ni Gatchalian ang Department of Education o DepEd na sundin ang rekomendasyon ng Philippine Institute for Development Studies o PIDS na magsagawa ng pag-aaral sa workload ng mga teachers. Ito ay upang matiyak na nakatutok ang mga guro sa pagtuturo.
Upang mabigyan naman ng sapat na health insurance ang mga guro, ibinahagi ni Gatchalian ang isang rekomendasyon ng Government Service Insurance System o GSIS. Sa premium na apat na raang piso (P400) kada guro, maaaring makatanggap ang mga kawani ng DepEd ng coverage na aabot sa isang daan at dalawampung libong piso (P120,000). Ang gugugulin ng gobyerno sa mga premium na ito ay wala pang apat na raang milyong piso (P369.8).
"Ang ganap na pagpapatupad sa Magna Carta for Public School Teachers ay dapat maging prayoridad ng papasok na administrasyon," ani Gatchalian.
"Panahon na para tuparin ng pamahalaan ang pangako nitong halos anim na dekada nang hindi natutupad," dagdag na pahayag ng senador.
Ayon kay Gatchalian, hindi naipapatupad ng DepEd ang tatlong section o bahagi ng Magna Carta. Sa Section 22, halimbawa, mandato ang pagbibigay ng libreng annual physical examinations para sa mga guro ng pampublikong paaralan. Bagama't nagbibigay ang DepEd ng tulong pinansyal sa pagpapagamot ng mga guro simula noong 2019, wala pa ring programa para matiyak ang libreng taunang check-up tulad ng nakasaad sa batas.
Hindi rin naipapatupad ang Section 26, kung saan nakasaad na ang isang retiradong guro ay dapat ma-promote ng mas mataas ng isang ranggo. Ang sahod ng ranggong iyon ang magiging basehan ng mga benepisyo para sa retirement.
