TAX EXEMPTIONS are a viable non-wage benefit that must be afforded to public school teachers, a congressman said on Tuesday as he pushed for his bill that he believes would attract more talent in the public school system.
Under House Bill No. 9106, filed by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez, all salaries, wages, allowances, and benefits granted to public school teachers, including those in state universities and colleges (SUC), will “be exempted from the withholding taxes.”
The bill cites public school teachers as the most underpaid government workers and there are 800,000 of them in the country’s basic education system based on Department of Education (DepEd) data.
At present, the teacher-to-student/pupil radio is 1:29 in the elementary level, 1:25 in high school and 1:29 in senior high school. In pushing for the tax exemption, Mr. Rodriguez said such benefits would be vital in attracting “the most competent and efficient teachers for the benefit of our students.”
A separate House bill proposing an increase in salary-grade of public elementary and high school teachers to level 19 or P49,835 a month from the current grade level 11 (P25,439) is pending at the committee level.
In May, the Senate approved a bill seeking to increase the yearly supplies allowance for public school teachers receiving only P24 a day under the current P5,000 allowance for the whole school year.
Last month, the DepEd said public school teachers would be given a 30-day rest period with no voluntary work when this academic year ends. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz
