spot_img
28.1 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

‘Quezon City teachers’ woes solved’

- Advertisement -

Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Sunday said the 37-member city council has already resolved the allowance concerns of over 15,000 public school teachers even before their July 6 rally at the city hall.

In a statement, Belmonte, as presiding officer of the city council, said: “I would like to clarify to the public that out of the five concerns they raised in addition to their opposition to drug testing, the following concerns have already been addressed by the city council via legislation before the said rally even took place.”

The councilors have approved the increase in the supplemental monthly allowance from P1,000 to P1,500 and the increase in longevity pay from P200 to P300, she added.

“This was passed by the city council just recently. You should be receiving P300 per year of service upon retirement. But this starts in your sixth year of service. That is what longevity pay means,” Belmonte said.

The adjustment in the quarterly rice allowance from P1,500 to P2,000 for teaching and non-teaching staff has been passed in the first reading.

- Advertisement -

Last Friday, public school teachers staged a protest in front of Quezon City hall to dramatize their sentiments on the delay in the release of their allowances, salary increase, and even the mandatory drug test for teachers and non-teaching personnel.

They called on the local government to return the allowance disbursement platform from mobile money system Globe BanKo back to Land Bank of the Philippines, saying since the transfer to Globe BanKo, they have experienced up to a year’s delay in the issuance of allowances.

Belmonte said the issue is under the jurisdiction of the Office of the City Mayor, while the salary increase could only be mandated by the national government. 

Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista has approved an amendment involving the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children.

BCPC was created in 2005 and primarily aims to protect children from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their development and to foster education, good health and nutrition, and other services necessary for the child and youth welfare.

City Ordinance 2671-2018, introduced by Councilor Julienne Alyson Rae V. Medalla, enhances Ordinance 1623-2005 which created BCPC, by adding child representatives in the members of the said council.

“It is the policy of the City government that the rights of the children for survival, protection, participation, and development of their potentials must be given priority,” Medalla said.

Under the ordinance, the child representative shall serve as the delegate of the children sector in the BCPC. He/ she will also convene a children’s association within the barangay to deliberate on and prioritize children’s issues that will be brought to the council for deliberation.

The child rep shall also be tasked to get evidence-based data and information that will substantiate the priority issues of children and develop children’s agenda folder for each issue. 

He/she shall also seek support from child-focused non-government organizations for more clarification on proposed children agenda that he/she will present to the BCPC for appropriate legislative action.

The ordinance also tasks the barangay council to accredit and recognize the children’s associations and clubs. Each organization should submit their organizational profile and structure, programs, projects, activities, and accomplishments, and proposed nominee as child representative of the BCPC of the community.

The child representative of each barangay will be determined through an election. Two delegates from each accredited organization will be able to vote and nominate their representative.

Further, a representative should be aged between 10-15, and a member of an accredited children organization in the barangay. The representative should also be articulate on children’s issues and concerns, as well as balanced in his/her views on gender, religion and ethnicity, and disabilities.

“The Ordinance aims to effectively identify and implement programs and services for children and ensure their sustainability by identifying specific stakeholders that will serve as members of BCPC,” Medalla added. 

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles