By Lane Afable, News Editor
The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture, chaired by Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, on Monday approved, subject to style, the measure institutionalizing the annual grant of the World Teachers’ Day (WTD) incentive benefit for public school teachers.
House Bill (HB) 4531 also proposes to increase the WTD incentive from the current rate of P1,000 to P3,000.
HB 4531 co-author Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales described the measure as a way to formally recognize the vital and irreplaceable contributions of teachers to national development and advancement of society.
Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan is a co-author of Gonzales.
Gonzales recalled that the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had designated October 5 as World Teachers’ Day every year to honor the vital role of teachers in guiding children and youth through the learning process.
“It is a day to celebrate how teachers are transforming education and also reflect on the support they need to fully deploy their talent and vocation, and to rethink the way ahead for the profession globally,” he said.
He noted how Congress, in solidarity with UNESCO’s move, enacted Republic Act No. 10743, declaring the fifth day of October every year as National Teachers’ Day to pay tribute to members of the teaching profession.
Further, in 2019, through the General Appropriations Act, Congress introduced the World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefit (WTDIB) – a P1,000 one-time grant for every public school teacher, released on October 5 pursuant to DepEd guidelines.
Since then, Congress has continued to provide funding to sustain the WTDIB at the same rate of P1,000 per teacher.
Janir Datukan, Assistant Secretary for Curriculum and Learning of the Department of Education (DepEd) expressed the DepEd’s unequivocal support for the passage of HB 4531, subject to necessary inter-agency fiscal coordination.
Datukan pointed out that “Institutionalizing this benefit aligns with the declared state policy to elevate the economic welfare of public school teachers and fortify their work incentives.”
