SENATOR Christopher “Bong” Go has co-sponsored Senate Bill No. 1964, or the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act, which seeks to institutionalize teaching supplies allowances for public school teachers. The measure was principally sponsored by Senator Ramon Revilla and Go is one of its co-authors.

In his co-sponsorship speech inserted into the records during the Senate Plenary session on Tuesday, March 14, Go emphasized the importance of providing sufficient allowance for teachers to sustain their teaching supply needs, especially as the country continues to recover from the pandemic.

“Schools are now open, and most are now back to face-to-face classes. Ibig sabihin din po nito ay balik na rin ang matagal na pong problema ng ating mga guro, ang kawalan ng pambili ng chalk at iba pang teaching supplies,” stated Go.

He expressed concerns for the teachers, stating that a significant number of them lack the essential resources and materials required for effective teaching because the government does not provide them with adequate allowance.

“This also forced most of our teachers to dip into their own pockets just to ensure that their students have the resources they need to learn,” he said.

Go continued, “It is essential to recognize that teachers are the backbone of our educational system. They work tirelessly to impart knowledge and skills to our children, preparing them for the future.”

According to the committee report, the proposed measure seeks to raise the allowance for teaching supplies from PhP5,000 to PhP7,500 for the academic year 2023 to 2024, and PhP10,000 for the academic year 2024 to 2025.

By increasing the teachers’ supplies allowance, Go stated that the government can achieve two goals simultaneously, “alleviating the financial burden on our teachers and improving the quality of education in our country by boosting the morale of our teachers.”

The proposed legislation mandates that all teachers in public schools will receive an allowance for purchasing teaching supplies and materials, as well as using different methods of delivering instruction.

The allowance may be used to buy both tangible and intangible materials, and it will not be subject to income tax.

The allowance’s value will be adjusted every three years to keep up with the changing prices of teaching supplies and materials.

If passed into law, Go said that the government can improve the economic status of teachers and assist them in providing quality education to their students.

“I believe that education is the key to a better future. And providing support for our teachers is also an investment for the future of our youth. We cannot afford to let our teachers and students suffer due to a lack of resources,” said Go.

“We must recognize the importance of our teachers and provide them with the necessary resources to teach effectively,” he added.

Finally, he urged his fellow public officials to work together to ensure that teachers have access to the resources they need to make a positive impact on the lives of their students.

“As one of the authors of this measure, I would like to endorse the passage of this bill that would benefit our hardworking teachers and our country’s education sector as a whole,” he concluded.

Go has been advocating for accessible and quality education for all Filipinos. To accomplish this, he has recently co-authored and co-sponsored three other bills that serve as a testament to his commitment to uplifting the country’s education system. These include Senate Bill Nos. 1359, 1360, and 1864.

SBN 1359, or the No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act, aims to protect students from the “no permit, no exam” policy in educational institutions that prevents them from taking examinations and other educational assessments due to outstanding financial or property obligations, such as unpaid tuition fees.

Meanwhile, SBN 1360 seeks to expand the coverage of the tertiary education subsidy by amending Republic Act No. 10931, or the Universal Access To Quality Tertiary Education Act. The proposed measure aims to provide more significant support to students who have difficulty in paying for their tuition and other school fees, including those who are not covered by the current subsidies under the said law.

Finally, SBN 1864, or the Student Loan Payment Moratorium During Disasters and Emergencies Act, aims to provide relief to students who have taken out loans but are unable to pay them back due to disasters and other emergencies.

Earlier, the senator also filed SBN 1190, which proposes expanding the use the Special Education Fund to cover the operation and maintenance of public schools, payment of salaries and benefits for teaching and non-teaching personnel, and competency training for teaching personnel, among others.