Act RegionOne

We stand with Teacher Maricel!

We strongly condemn the malicious imputations and intimidation directed by the officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) against Teacher Maricel Hererra, president of the faculty club of Bacoor National Highschool in Cavite, after her exposé of their comfort room-converted faculty room drew public attention during school opening.

We denounce DepEd Secretary Briones’ lie that the case is an isolated one, further, her contemptuous remark that teachers chose to stay on the shabby faculty area because it is ‘more dramatic and touching.’ Equally, we condemn the school principal’s threats of suing Ms. Herrera, allegedly for ‘disparaging the reputation’ of the education agency and the school.

What Ms. Herrera is being made to suffer right now is a clear case of union repression and violation of her academic freedom. She is being shamed and punished for speaking truth to power, a courageous act to stand for the welfare of teachers who were plopped in a dismal condition, but the powers-that-be took offense and now threatens her employment.

However distressing, converting comfort rooms to faculty rooms is not uncommon to many public schools such as in Bagong Silangan Elementary School in Quezon City, Calderon Highschool in Manila and many others. This situation is just one of the many indications of the grave facility shortage in public education. Bringing it out in the open is simple truth-telling and is aimed at calling the attention of the authorities to address the education crisis, a citizen’s basic right in a democracy. If sincere in their duties, the authorities could have simply responded to address the issue. Choosing to take offense on the exposé is putting one’s ego and pride over the interest of the sector and public he/she is mandated to serve. Punishing the truth-teller is pure vindictiveness and abuse of authority.

The Department of Education only has itself to blame that they were put in bad light when the government’s inefficiencies were exposed. The deficiencies are of the government’s doing and not of the teachers’. The agency, though, seems to not be getting any nearer to squarely confronting the problem. It turns a blind eye on the dominantly dismal state of public schools, only choosing to see the very rare state-of-the-art classrooms it exhibits for its touted 21st century education, and is lulled in its illusion that the school opening is ‘so far, so good.’

In this case, more Teacher Maricels are needed to jolt the government from its slumber, and come out we will. Armed with truth and a good grasp of our rights to free expression and self-organization we shall carry on the causes of the education sector for the sake of our youth to whom rests the hope of our nation.

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Suportado ng hanay ng mga g**o at kawani ang DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 9! Panahon na upang tanggalin ang patronage system sa mga serbisyong panlipunan. Ibasura ang pork barrel system! Ideretso sa kamay ng mamamayan ang patas at maagap na serbisyong panlipunan!

"Kaya naman humihingi ako ng suporta saking mga kapwa kongresista na maipasa ang panukalang batas bilang 56 na naglalayong magkaroon ng umento sa sahod bilang panimulang sweldo na P16,000 sa mga non-teaching personnel, P25,000 para sa Teacher I, at sa mga Instructor I sa kolehiyo na mula SG 12 ay maging 16." sipi sa unang Privilege speech ni Rep. France Cstro

House Bill 56

AN ACT INCREASING THE MINIMUM SALARIES OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND AUGMENTING THE PERSONNEL ECONOMIC RELIEF ALLOWANCE

Principal Author/s: TINIO, ANTONIO L.; CASTRO, FRANCE L.; CASILAO, ARIEL B.;

Main Referral: APPROPRIATIONS

Status: Pending with the Committee on APPROPRIATIONS since 2016-07-26