“Even when they reach out to you through a text, asking how you are, it’s truly fulfilling,” says Relly Aquino, Master Teacher I at Happy Hollow Elementary School.
Teacher Relly has been teaching for over three decades.
One of the things she takes pride in is helping her students succeed in life.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be part of their lives, for them to have passed through me,” Aquino added.
In celebration of Teacher’s Day, Teacher Relly is among the more than three thousand teachers honored in Baguio City.
The event had a festive atmosphere, with prizes and souvenirs adding to the joy.
“We’ve seen one important thing, which is the powerful influence of a child,” said Dr. Soraya Faculo, School Division Superintendent at DepEd – Baguio.
But behind the cheerful smiles lie the concerns of some teachers.
Among these is the proper implementation of the Matatag Curriculum and a call for salary increases.
“In our current time, teachers’ salaries are really insufficient for our needs today. To Secretary Angara, sir, please review the curriculum thoroughly so we can elevate the level of education here in the Philippines,” Aquino pleaded.
These concerns are being addressed by the Marcos administration.
With the passing of the “Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act,” teachers will receive a school supplies allowance of 10,000 pesos, up from the previous 5,000 pesos.
Additionally, they will get a medical allowance of 7,000 pesos in accordance with Executive Order No. 64, Series of 2024.
With the approval of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Career Progression Program, it is hoped that no public school teacher will retire as a Teacher I.
Through efforts like this, the welfare of teachers, which they have long aspired for, will be ensured.
**JOSE ROBERT INVENTOR
