WEDNESDAY / SEPTEMBER 18,2o19

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IEACI|ERS COIIFUSED BYPIIO.B

PAY HII(E FOR $IATE tl,ORl(ERS

By Matthew neysio-Cruz and Management.
@MatthewlNQ ACT said if the proposed
amount for the next three
The announcqment on Mon- years was divided equally
day that President Duterte among the government's 1.5
had allotted P11o billion over million employees, it would
the next three'years for 'a add up to a P5,o44 increase in
raise in government workers' their salaries-far short of
salaries was not enough to the Plo,ooo raise the grouP
appease the country's largest has sought for entry-Ievel
teachers' union, which ac- teachers,
cused him of deliberately These teachers, who have
muddying the waters. Salary Grade u, currently on-
The Alliance of -Con- ly earn P2o,754.
cernedTeachers (AcT) said irl "The government's con-
a statement that Mr. Duterte sBrvailve z- to 4-percent in-
should clarify how the alloca- flation forecast will render
tion would be distributed, the measly Ps,ooo increase
otherwise the lump .sum insignificant, effectively
am6unt only "served to con- denying us yet again a fair
fuse and obscure the planned chance at a decqnt life," said
increase's actual benefit to Joselyn Martinez, ACT na-
state workers," tional chair. '
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, "If nothing else, the pro-
the House of Representatives posed measure seems to only
ways and means committee serve to pacify our intensify-
chair, had said workers with ing ddmand for better pay,"
Salary Grades r to 17 would she added.
get higher increases com- The sense of d€jd vu is
pared to those with Salary stark for the country's
Grades 18 to $-which in- Soo,ooo public school teach-
cluded the President and ers, who received an annual
lawmakers. No additiorial de- increase of only P5oo under
tails were given. former President Benigno
Of th€ Pl1o billion, P3z Aquino iil's version of the
billion is included in the 2o2o Salary Standardization Law
national budget Proposed bY being proposed by Mr.
the Department of Budget Duterte's administration. INQ

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