QUEZON City 5th District Representative PM Vargas has filed a bill seeking to increase and institutionalize the grant of a teaching supplies allowance for public school teachers in time for the National Teachers’ Month celebration on September 5 to October 5, 2022.

House Bill (HB) No. 4072, also known as the “Teaching Supplies Allowance Bill”, seeks to provide an annual budget dedicated to their classroom supplies expenses and increase it from P5,000 to P10,000.

For School Year (SY) 2021-2022, classroom teachers are only granted a P5,000 cash allowance following the issuance of the Joint Circular by the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), which prescribes guidelines for implementing the DepEd-Office of the Secretary Special Provision No. 11 on Cash Allowance.

Under the joint circular, the cash allowance shall be intended for the purchase of teaching supplies and materials, tangible or intangible; for the conduct of various modes of learning, Internet, and other communication expenses; and for their annual medical examination expense.

“We hope to alleviate the financial burden of our public school teachers to show our gratitude and recognition for their dedication and sacrifices in providing quality education to our students amid the pandemic,” Vargas said.

The Teaching Supplies Allowance Bill was first filed in the 17th Congress and has been refiled by solons ever since, including former Rep. Alfred Vargas, the brother, and predecessor of PM Vargas.

“When we provide Filipino educators with the proper support they need, we maximize the potential of our education sector and ensure the bright future of our nation,” Vargas added.

The House Committee on Basic Education, on September 6, has begun deliberations on all the Teaching Supplies Allowance Bills filed in the 19th Congress.

In the 17th and 18th Congress, the said committee approved the proposed legislation, but it remained “pending” in the committee on appropriations.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Ryan Ponce Pacpaco