Manila City: The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), a group
of Philippine teachers and educators, is sending their message of disgust to President
Benigo Simeon Aquino with regards to the continuing disregard of the executive to
their demands.
The ACT said they are angry to the present
administration for its continued silence for their salary increase, as the
president is said to keep on using the old alibi that there is no budget
available to cover the amount needed for the increase.
But then, the ACT continued that all the people know
that huge amounts of public funds just went wasted through graft and corruption
and other kinds of anomalous projects funded by the government.
As a matter of fact, the proposed budget for 2015
still contains huge lump sum allocations aimed to benefit his friends, party
mates and allies in the bureaucracy, France Castro, ACT secretary-general said
in a statement forwarded to Misamis News Digest through email.
Malacanang has earlier said an increase in teachers’
salaries is unlikely next year as there are still no available funds to cover
the amount needed.
The ACT answered such way of thinking is unacceptable
for them as the president is “asking us to bear the awful situation and yet he
is all arms open in giving to the whims of his allies.”
Castro believes the real reason behind is disregard
to their demand is not the unavailability of funds but that Aquino “just that
he does not care at all to us.”
During the World Teachers Day celebration, the CBCP
has cited the big role of teachers as “holy and heroic,” that “even in the face
of the seemingly dire situations, the teachers persist in their vocation
because they believe in the cause of education, because they know that
education gives hope and leads to social transformation.”
Aside from the immediate increase of the salaries of
teachers, ACT is also for higher budgetary allocation to education to state
colleges and universities like the Philippine Normal University (PNU).
For 2015, the PNU is allotted only P155 million with
the P569 million budget. Information shows that only a meager 18% budget was
approved by DBM for state-run universities in the National Capital Region and with
this allocation, tuition hikes may be implemented to cope with its over-all
expenses, says ACT. (MICHAEL MEDINA)