Teachers also deserve pay increase

I have always thought that Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno was one of President Duterte’s smart, honest, and hardworking cabinet members and for the most part I think he is doing a good job. However, I do have to disagree with him when he said that the country’s public school teachers might have to put their planned pay raise on the back burner due to the government’s need to channel funds into very expensive infrastructure projects this 2018.

I’ve always said before that in a perfect world, every problem would be addressed equally and quickly. But of course we don’t live in a perfect world and as such we have to do the best we can with what we have. Government is a very tricky business and we have to rely on our elected officials to act in our best interests. This is especially true when it comes to slicing the pie for the national budget. There are so many needs and so little funds and the money needs to be very carefully allocated to the projects that need it the most. Our government has the hard job of deciding how to best utilize the government budget to be able to get the best and most needed results.

So it’s not that I don’t understand how infrastructure should be a top priority for the government this 2018. I don’t need a reminder that traffic and carmageddon has reached an all-time high and that Filipinos are wasting their lives (and their productivity) languishing in their vehicles for hours on end while waiting to get to their destinations. I also know that natural calamities are happening more and more and that we need to ensure our safety protocols and cities are safe. I know so many changes need to be made (do we ever actually do city planning or is it just fly by the seat of our pants?) because things are breaking down and everyone is getting affected.

However, I don’t believe that these projects should affect the promises the administration has made to public servants like teachers. Teachers have a very hard job and they are directly investing in the future of the Philippines by teaching our children and striving to make the next generation stronger, smarter, and ready for the future. Many times teachers actually even spend so much of what they earn buying supplies for their classes (and sometimes even their students) out of pocket or provide certain tools needed in the classroom. It is truly a vocation and one I feel is due for a pay increase just like the president promised.

After all isn’t the president all about keeping his promises? Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says that he is and that the teachers pay increase is coming but that he can’t be sure of when it will be implemented. While that’s reassuring to the over 600,000 public school teachers in the Philippines it is still no guarantee. After all, lip service is one thing, but actual action and implementation is another.

Many teachers and teachers groups have already begun protesting after Diokno’s statements. They had been banking on a pay increase as military and uniformed personnel are already going to be given the increase they were promised. Why should the teachers be left out? There are many theories swinging around in the news and on social media about this. Some claim it’s because the military and police were essential in the war on drugs. Some say it’s because if the military and police “protest” they could start a coup d’état and the government doesn’t want that.

For whatever the reasons are, our public school teachers were given hope that the president was following through on his campaign promises and are now beginning to wonder if they had begun celebrating too early. Especially now, with the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), which will increase the cost of basic goods and services, many teachers have rightfully started to worry about how they will make their salaries cover their cost of living.

I hope that the president makes good on his word as Roque said he would. It’s important for us to show our teachers how much we appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Philippine youth. The government should take a closer look at how they are dividing the national budget. Saving funds doesn’t necessarily mean other projects can’t push through or that they are cutting corners. It can simply mean that they are finding efficient ways to get infrastructure right the first time instead of building roads and then digging them up and rebuilding them again year after year.

It’s high time the government becomes accountable for their spend so that they can utilize the taxpayers’ money properly and honestly. I honestly believe that corruption counts for much more budget loss than they think (or than they would like to admit) and if they were just open and transparent then a lot more projects could get funded and a lot more promises could be kept.

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I am happy that the Philippines ranked number 1 among developing countries and 5th overall in the world in terms of use of solar energy. We’ve been abusing the environment for far too long and it’s high time we found a way to give back. Through solar energy and hopefully future environmental initiatives the country can provide alternative energy sources and cut back on our harmful emissions and skyrocketing utility expenses.

Solar power is actually making an impact in the global market as an alternative energy source that is not only less harmful to the environment but also cost effective as well. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar power is turning into one of the cheapest sources of new electricity generation capacity in several countries in Asia and for once we are at the forefront of instead of lagging behind. Hopefully we will continue our solar initiatives and strive to create even more new solar projects in the country in the months and years ahead.