This is not really about me, but about the people I meet, the places I visit and the stories I want to share.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

After Class Rally

Mother-daughter tandem Joyce and Cherizze Coyang trooped to the main gate of the House of Representatives after their first day of classes.

They braved the afternoon heat and joined some 200 members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers protesting the impending approval of the Salary Standardization Law 3 before the congressional bicameral conference committee.

They were there to press legislators for a 9,000-peso salary increase, instead of the proposed 6,500-peso wage hike favored by senators and congressmen at the bicam.

When I approached the elder Coyang and asked her why bring along your child in a protest rally, the proud mother said “thrice na siyang sumasama sa rally!”

At least, this early Cherizze is becoming socially aware and feeling for herself the hardships her mother has to undergo just to send her to school.

In the middle of the rally I remembered my mother, a retired public school teacher who was no different from the protesting teachers.

After her classes in school, my mother did tutorials to private school students to make both ends meet.

Other teachers I personally knew had a more difficult time - selling “tocino” to their students.

Some even had to quit teaching and work instead as domestic helpers, cleaning toilets and serving foreign masters despite having a college degree back home.

While there is really nothing wrong with selling “tocino” in public schools (in fact that is even more honorable than what our corrupt politicians are doing in other government offices) or working as a DH, it is about time we change the stereotypical view we have of public school teachers.

But sadly, last thing I heard, the bicam has already passed the 6,500-peso proposal instead of the 9,000-peso one.

Come to think of it, the difference is just 2,500 pesos and yet our senators and congressmen who are earning big bucks from kickbacks can’t give it to our poor public school teachers.

Because of our scrimping senators and congressmen, it seems Joyce and Cherizze will have to prepare for their fourth rally, but hopefully it will be their last.

8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

depressing...

4:14 AM

 
Blogger Deaconess Rhiza said...

in our province, teachers under the local school board only receive 3,000-5,000 monthly. ang work ng mga teachers na ito ay gaya din ng work ng mga regular teachers. sakripisyo talaga.

10:44 AM

 
Blogger Adrian Ayalin said...

Are they the ones being paid by the local government? Kawawa rin sila kasi maliit lang ang bayad sa kanila and contractual ata sila.

8:38 PM

 
Blogger MBW said...

3,000-5,000 monthly?????

My goodness gracious me. This is shocking!

9:25 AM

 
Blogger Adrian Ayalin said...

Yes it is. Unfortunately our public officials aren't shocked, they think it's but normal.

11:01 AM

 
Blogger Deaconess Rhiza said...

ang local government ang nagbabayad sa mga teachers under local school board. ang tanong nga sa akin noong nag-apply ako sa public school kung ok lang sa akin ang 3,000 na suweldo. sa akin naman bilang teacher, ang pagtuturo ay di hanap buhay kundi ministeryo. pero sana bigyan pansin pa rin ito ng local government namin.

2:59 PM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i used to be teacher for three years. one year a private college and the rest in a state university. i really love teaching but i can't afford seeing my family starving because my salary wasn't enough to feed them. with good academic background and a master's degree from a top-performing university, i still earn a penny. much as i wanted to stay and embrace my profession, i can't help myself but be practical. now i've found my fate. i'm working in the corporate world after taking another master's degree in management.

10:30 PM

 
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7:23 PM

 

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