Shorter working hours for gov't teachers sought

MANILA, Philippines -  Two legislators have filed a bill Congress which seeks to cut the working hours of public school teachers from eight to six a day.

Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her son, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado Arroyo said that House Bill 2684 proposes shorter working hours for government teachers.

"Their present work schedule has left them stressed out and exhausted much to the detriment of our students," the bill said.

The measure also seeks to exempt public school teachers from compliance with the Civil Service mandated eight-hour workday for government workers.

It also stated that any work performed in excess of six hours a day shall be given additional compensation of at least twenty-five percent of their regular remuneration.

Section 3 of the bill states that "any teacher engaged in actual teaching may be required to render more than six hours of teaching upon payment of additional compensation at the same rate of his/her regular plus at least twenty-five percent of his/her basic pay."

It also says that "teachers who are not engaged in actual teaching but render more than six hours work shall likewise be entitled to the additional compensation provided in this Section."

The exemption from CSC rules is also in observance of Book V of the Administrative Code of 1987 which also states that "Officers and employees of all departments and agencies except those covered by special laws shall render not less than eight hours of work a day for five days a week or a total of forty-hours a week, exclusive of time for lunch."

Section 5 states that "notwithstanding provisions of existing law to the contrary, co-curricula, out-of-school activities and other activities of any teacher outside of their normal duties shall be paid an additional compensation of at least twenty-five percent of his/her regular remuneration after the teacher has completed at least six hours of work."

The Magna Carta for Public School Teachers or Republic Act No. 4670 provides that teaching hours for teachers shall not be more than six hours.

The Department of Education issued a memorandum, allowing teachers to allot six hours for actual classroom teaching per day while the remaining two hours to be spent in teaching-related activities.

"While strictly speaking the essence of the law is respected, this memorandum requires from them a total of eight hours a day," the younger Arroyo said.