ACT rep to Kalinga teachers: Join union, fight for your rights

By Limson Domogo 

TABUK CITY – Fight for your rights. This in essence was the message of Association of Concerned Teachers partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio to the education sector of the province urging them to endorse petition for accreditation of union and join ACT- Cordillera Administrative Region.

The petition allows teachers and schools personnel “to exercise their rights to organize unions, to negotiate with government for better benefits and working conditions.”

“Teachers and non-teaching personnel can effectively push government to act on their concerns through the union,” Tinio said.

ACT unions reportedly started in 2011 and registered in all regions of the country except ARMM, Region IVB, Region IX and Socsargen.

Some 114 teachers and employees from preparatory, elementary, secondary and tertiary schools from Tabuk and municipalities of Rizal, Tanudan and Pinukpuk attended consultative assembly here June 26 at Kalinga Sports Complex.

Organized by ACT-Kalinga, the assembly served as venue for public and private schools teachers and non-teaching personnel to learn more about the laws and proposed legislations authored by ACT Teachers Partylist which upholds the rights and welfare of teachers and school personnel.

The most recent accomplishment of ACT partylist was Republic Act 10653, enacted Feb. 12, raising tax-exempt bonuses like 13^th month pay and other benefits for public and private education sector employees.

The assembly was also an opportunity for teachers to raise their concerns and seek the support of ACT Teachers Partylist, such as expensive annual medical examination for teachers and the computerization of schools program not implemented in the province.

As a result of the consultative assembly, the participants committed to gather teachers’ signatures for the ACT-CAR union petition for accreditation and encourage the membership of more teachers in the province.

The participants also expressed support to proposed legislations that ACT is working on, including House Bill 245, an act increasing the minimum monthly salaries of public school teachers to P25,000 and non-teaching personnel to P15,000 and House Bill 5533 which lowers optional retirement age of public school teachers from 60 to 55 years old.

Noting low salaries of teachers, Moises Sawad, head teacher of the Bado Dangwa Elementary School said, “I have plenty of loans which I can barely pay with my salary as a teacher.”

ACT-Kalinga coordinator LimsonDomogo, presented program to coordinators from schools.