An opposition leader of the House of Representatives on Saturday said the salary increase given to government under the recently signed Salary Standardization Law V as personnel a mere “scanty increase which will eventually be eaten up by the rising prices of basic goods.”
“President Duterte can now add the salary increase for teachers and other government employees on his list of failed promises. He promised to grant teachers and other government employees a substantial salary increase, yet this Salary Standardization Law V only provides a measly increase divided in four tranches,” Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said.
She said the Salary Standardization Law V downgrades the condition of public school teachers. Their salaries had been overrun compared to the salaries of police and soldiers, she added.
“It is still inequitable and distorted as those in the rank and file positions will still receive a small increase in their actual take-home pay compared to those under executive positions “ Castro said.
She said the signed Salary Standardization Law of 2019 will only increase salaries of those under Salary Grade 1 by P483 in 2020, a P16 per day increase in the first tranche of implementation. Entry level teachers under Salary Grade 11 would only receive an increase of P1,562 in 2020, an additional of only P52 per day, Castro said.
In addition, Castro said the salary increase came only on the second year of the implementation of the TRAIN Law, that caused the price of prime commodities soar to new heights.
“This is far from what our teachers and other government employees have been demanding from the government. The Duterte administration cannot state that their wishes have been granted in this newly signed law. Public school teachers and other government employees do not deserve a measly increase in their salaries that will only be eaten up by the increasing prices in goods and income tax due to the TRAIN Law.”
Due to the SSL-V Law. Castro said: “Most public school teachers will also now have to pay income taxes compared to being exempted last 2019 while others would have an increase in their income taxes.”