DepEd teachers protest against gov’t broken promises
In
front of the Department of Education (DepEd)-National Capital Region (NCR)
office in Quezon City, a group of teachers held a dance protest on Tuesday,
February 16, 2021.
To
the tune of “Achy Breaky Heart,”
several teachers danced in front of the DepEd NCR in Quezon City under the
Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines-NCR Union to demonstrate the
“broken promises” and unjust policies of the department.
In
the midst of rocketing goods prices in Metro Manila and with the health and
education crisis still unresolved, ACT-NCR urged the Organization to
“fulfill its responsibilities and provide adequate measures to ensure the
welfare of teachers.”
In
order to lift their concerns about the payment of the long overdue Performance-based
Bonus (PBB) 2019, Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) 2020 benefits and the
“troublesome” ₱300 monthly communication allowance reimbursement, ACT
NCR Union also requested a discussion.
During
the rally, ACT Secretary General Raymond Basilio pointed out that teachers were
bearing the burden of distance learning on their shoulders. Our teachers are
also seeing how their learners suffer from distance learning and are often
forced to use their own tools just to fill the gaps,” he said in
Filipino.”
For
ACT NCR Union Vladimer Quetua, the “tight-lipped reaction” by the
government to answer the grievances of teachers is a “insult to our
teachers who have long felt neglected by the state.”
For
this year, ACT said teachers have yet to obtain the ₱1,562 salary adjustment,
which adds to the “long list of lies and broken promises made to teachers
by the government.”
The
group also criticized the DepEd NCR regional office’s memorandum dated 13 January
2021, which requires the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) to
perform a “orientation” to alert parents, teachers, and school
principals about the “scope of infiltration and recruitment” in
schools.