The Official Newsletter of ACT Teachers Party-List ǀ Issue 04 ǀ Volume 01 ǀ October 2015 SALARY INCREASE IN 2016: VICTORY OF OUR COLLECTIVE STRUGGLE! FIGHT FOR DECENT SALARIES! LOWER INCOME TAXES NOW! Message of Rep. Antonio L. Tinio Our vigorous and sustained campaign for salary increases will finally bear fruit as the next year opens. Salary increases will finally be implemented starting January 2016, with the adjustments to be implemented in four tranches and complemented with a mid-year bonus equal to a month’s salary on top of the 13th month pay, PEI, and PBB. These salary and bonus adjustments will not be implemented due to President Aquino’s generosity, but as result of our collective struggle for just and adequate income for teachers, non-teaching employees, and other government employees. We fought against the administration’s three year-long unjust refusal to grant salary increases, and mobilized tens of thousands of teachers and employees through two nationwide sit-down strikes, rallies at the gates of Malacañang, DBM, and Congress, and other mass actions, including black armband wearing, tarp-hanging, and innovative use of social media through our selfie campaigns. Through our relentless, unified actions, we prevailed. But we must sustain and intensify our campaign in the coming months. Our fight for adequate compensation remains. We must stay vigilant to ensure that government will match if not exceed our demand for P25,000 for Teacher I and P16,000 for Salary Grade I employees. We must push for additional increases in salary instead of the Performance-Based Bonus. Our fight for lower income taxes, which complements our salary increase campaign, also remains. We must redouble our efforts for the immediate passage of our bills for income tax relief for low- and middle-income earners. We have co-authored House Bill 5401, principally filed by my fellow progressive party-list congressman, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, to lower tax rates. We also filed our own HB 247 proposing to increase the Personal Exemption to P75,000 and the Additional Exemption to P40,000 per dependent, from the current P50,000 and P25,000, respectively. As your true voice in Congress, we are committed to join education workers, both inside and outside the halls of Congress, in our continuing struggles. But ultimately, our triumph depends on your participation. Accomplishments of Your True Voice in Congress, ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio L. Tinio S alary Increases. Due to Rep. Tinio’s relentless campaign in Congress, which complemented the selfie and armband wearing campaigns, sit-down strikes, and other nationwide mass actions highlighting our demand for decent salaries, government has set aside P50.664 billion for the salary increases of teachers, other education personnel, and all government employees to be implemented starting January 2016. I ncreased Tax Exemption of Bonuses. Rep. Tinio is principal author of Republic Act 10653, enacted in February 2015, which raises tax-exempt bonuses like 13th month pay, PBB, and other benefits up to P82,000, from the previous P30,000. R egularization of contractual and volunteer teachers. Thousands of LGU-paid teachers have long suffered low compensation and lack of job security, but contractualization was made more massive with the Aquino administration’s K to 12 Program. Rep. Tinio succeeded in enacting into law provisions mandating the DepEd, starting 2012, to give priority to qualified contractual and volunteer teachers in the hiring of new teachers. Since then, thousands of contractual and volunteer teachers nationwide have been given permanent items. F ormation of ACT Unions. Upon Rep. Tinio’s urging in 2011, guidelines for the registration and accreditation of unions of public school teachers were issued. Since then, teachers under the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) have been exercising their right to form and join unions to negotiate with government for better benefits and working conditions. ACT-NCR Union, the first regional union ever to be accredited and the largest union of government employees in the country, has now inked its Collective Negotiating Agreement with the DepEd-NCR. H igher Chalk Allowance. Through the efforts of Rep. Tinio during budget deliberations and the lobbying of ACT leaders and members, the annual chalk allowance increased from P700 to P1,000 in 2012 and to P1,500 in 2015. H igher Uniform/Clothing Allowance (UCA). Rep. Tinio actively supported ACT’s campaign for higher clothing allowance for all government employees from P4,000 to P6,000. Mass mobilizations, relentless lobbying in Congress, and Rep. Tinio’s aggressive push during budget hearings caused government to raise the UCA from P4,000 to P5,000 starting Fiscal Year 2012. V oluntary Election Service for Teachers. Rep. Tinio is the principal author of House Bill 5412, making election service non-compulsory for public school teachers. This historic bill has been approved on Third Reading in the House and is awaiting passage in the Senate.
Transcript
The Official Newsletter of ACT Teachers Party-List ǀ Issue 04 ǀ Volume 01 ǀ October 2015
SALARY INCREASE IN 2016: VICTORY OF OUR COLLECTIVE STRUGGLE!
FIGHT FOR DECENT SALARIES!
LOWER INCOME TAXES NOW!
Message of Rep. Antonio L. Tinio
Our vigorous and
sustained campaign for
salary increases will finally
bear fruit as the next year
opens. Salary increases will
finally be implemented
starting January 2016, with
the adjustments to be
implemented in four
tranches and complemented
with a mid-year bonus equal
to a month’s salary on top
of the 13th month pay, PEI,
and PBB.
These salary and bonus adjustments will not be implemented due to President Aquino’s generosity, but as result of our collective struggle for just and adequate income for teachers, non-teaching employees, and other government employees. We fought against the administration’s three year-long unjust refusal to grant salary increases, and mobilized tens of thousands of teachers and employees through two nationwide sit-down strikes, rallies at the gates of Malacañang, DBM, and Congress, and other mass actions, including black armband wearing, tarp-hanging, and innovative use of social media through our selfie campaigns. Through our relentless, unified actions, we prevailed.
But we must sustain and intensify our campaign in
the coming months. Our fight for adequate compensation remains. We must stay vigilant to ensure that government will match if not exceed our demand for P25,000 for Teacher I and P16,000 for Salary Grade I employees. We must push for additional increases in salary instead of the Performance-Based Bonus.
Our fight for lower income taxes, which complements our salary increase campaign, also remains. We must redouble our efforts for the immediate passage of our bills for income tax relief for low- and middle-income earners. We have co-authored House Bill 5401, principally filed by my fellow progressive party-list congressman, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, to lower tax rates. We also filed our own HB 247 proposing to increase the Personal Exemption to P75,000 and the Additional Exemption to P40,000 per dependent, from the current P50,000 and P25,000, respectively.
As your true voice in Congress, we are committed to join education workers, both inside and outside the halls of Congress, in our continuing struggles. But ultimately,
our triumph depends on your participation.
Accomplishments of Your True Voice in Congress,
ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio L. Tinio
S alary Increases. Due to Rep. Tinio’s relentless campaign in
Congress, which complemented the selfie and armband
wearing campaigns, sit-down strikes, and other nationwide mass
actions highlighting our demand for decent salaries, government
has set aside P50.664 billion for the salary increases of
teachers, other education personnel, and all government
employees to be implemented starting January 2016.
I ncreased Tax Exemption of Bonuses. Rep. Tinio is principal
author of Republic Act 10653, enacted in February 2015,
which raises tax-exempt bonuses like 13th month pay, PBB,
and other benefits up to P82,000, from the previous
P30,000.
R egularization of contractual and volunteer teachers.
Thousands of LGU-paid teachers have long suffered low
compensation and lack of job security, but contractualization was
made more massive with the Aquino administration’s K to 12
Program. Rep. Tinio succeeded in enacting into law
provisions mandating the DepEd, starting 2012, to give
priority to qualified contractual and volunteer teachers in
the hiring of new teachers. Since then, thousands of
contractual and volunteer teachers nationwide have been
given permanent items.
F ormation of ACT Unions. Upon Rep. Tinio’s urging in 2011,
guidelines for the registration and accreditation of unions of
public school teachers were issued. Since then, teachers under the
Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) have been exercising their
right to form and join unions to negotiate with government for
better benefits and working conditions. ACT-NCR Union, the first
regional union ever to be accredited and the largest union of
government employees in the country, has now inked its
Collective Negotiating Agreement with the DepEd-NCR.
H igher Chalk Allowance. Through the efforts of Rep. Tinio
during budget deliberations and the lobbying of ACT leaders
and members, the annual chalk allowance increased from
P700 to P1,000 in 2012 and to P1,500 in 2015.
H igher Uniform/Clothing Allowance (UCA). Rep. Tinio
actively supported ACT’s campaign for higher clothing
allowance for all government employees from P4,000 to P6,000.
Mass mobilizations, relentless lobbying in Congress, and Rep.
Tinio’s aggressive push during budget hearings caused government
to raise the UCA from P4,000 to P5,000 starting Fiscal Year
2012.
V oluntary Election Service for Teachers. Rep. Tinio is the
principal author of House Bill 5412, making election service
non-compulsory for public school teachers. This historic bill has
been approved on Third Reading in the House and is awaiting
passage in the Senate.
HOUSE BILLS FILED BY
ACT Teachers Party-List
THROUGH REPRESENTATIVE ANTONIO L. TINIO
In the 16th Congress (as of October 2015)
HB 448 An Act Declaring February Four of Every Year as “Philippine-American War Day”
HB 447 An Act Amending Section 8 of Republic Act 6426, Otherwise Known as “The Foreign Currency Deposit Act of the Philippines”
HB 449 An Act Withholding Operational Funds of Units of
the Armed Forces of the Philippines Implicated in Gross Human Rights Violations
HB 450 An Act Declaring Filipino Sign Language as the National Sign Language of the Filipino Deaf and the Official Language of Government in all Transactions Involving the
Deaf, and Mandating its Use in Schools, Broadcast Media, and Workplaces
HB 1535 An Act Abolishing the “Pork Barrel” System by Prohibiting the Allocation and Use of Funds for Such Purpose
HB 4671 An Act Upgrading the Salaries of Employees of the Commission on Elections
HB 5440 An Act Extending the Period of Maternity Leave to 120 Days or 138 Days in Case of Ceasarian Delivery, Making the Same Available to All Women Workers and Employees in the Public and Private Sectors Without Any Discrimination as to the Civil Status of the Mother of the Legitimacy of Her Child, and for Other Purposes
HB 5533 An Act Lowering the Optional Retirement Age of Public School Teachers from 60 Years Old to 55 Years Old
Measures Governing Student Discipline and Mechanisms for Classroom Management, Establishing Support for Public School Teachers and School Personnel and Providing for their Protection in Cases Related Thereto)
HB 5401 An Act Restructuring the Income Brackets and
Rates of Tax Imposed on Taxable Income of Individuals
Principal author: Fellow member of the Koalisyong
Makabayan of progressive party-lists in Congress Rep. Neri Colmenares
Proposed new rates will exempt from tax those
earning an annual income of P396,000 (approximately, all classroom teacher, administrative, and support staff positions up to SG 18), among other reforms
And over 200 bills and resolutions co-authored with other Representatives
HB 245 and HB 3015 An Act Increasing the Minimum Monthly Salaries of Public School Teachers to Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (P25,000) and Non-Teaching Personnel to Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P16,000)
HB 246 An Act Upgrading the Minimum Salary Grade of Public Higher Education Teaching Personnel from Salary Grade 12 to 16
HB 247 An Act Increasing the Allowance of Personal Exemption for Individual Taxpayers
HB 248 An Act Increasing the Ceiling for the Total Exclusion from Gross Income of 13th Month Pay and Other Benefits to Sixty Thousand Pesos
Enacted into law as Republic Act 10653, with the
ceiling raised to P82,000
HB 249 An Act Further Strengthening the Government Service Insurance System
HB 250 An Act Increasing the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance Granted to Government Employees to P4,000
HB 251 An Act Providing for a P2,000 Teaching Supplies Allowance for Public School Teachers
HB 441 An Act Granting Free Post-Secondary Education in State Universities and Colleges and Public Technical and Vocational Schools to Dependent Children of Public Elementary and High School Teachers
Approved by Congress; Currently awaiting the
signature of the President for enactment into law as part of the “Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Higher and Technical Education
(UniFAST) Act”
HB 442 An Act Prohibiting the Hiring of Teachers in the Public Sector through Contracts of Service or Job Orders
HB 443 An Act Regulating Class Size in All Public Schools
HB 444 An Act Making Election Service Non-Compulsory for Public School Teachers, Providing for Compensation and Other Benefits
Approved by the House of Representatives; awaiting
approval by the Senate
HB 445 An Act Declaring October 5 of Every Year as “National Teachers’ Day”
Approved by the House of Representatives; awaiting
approval by the Senate
HB 446 An Act Amending Republic Act 10175, Otherwise Known as the “Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012”
CONCERNS? QUERIES? UPDATES?
Text your ACT Teachers Representative
Rep. Antonio L. Tinio 0920-922-0817
Please give your name, school, and city or municipality. Visit us at Room 511 South Wing Building,
House of Representatives, Batasan Hills, Quezon City Phone/Fax: (02)-931-6193
From 2013-2015, ACT Teachers conducted 135 teachers’ consultations in 27 cities and 36 provinces to ensure that the sector’s concerns are brought to the House of Representatives.
ACT Teachers has supported the formation of ACT Unions in the following regions:
Accredited Unions: NCR, Region VI, and XI.
Registered Unions: Regions I, II, III, IV-A, V, VII, VIII, XII, CAR, and CARAGA.
ACT-NCR Union recently concluded its Collective Negotiation
Agreement (CNA) with DepEd-NCR last May 25, 2015. Here are some of the benefits included in the CNA for more than 62,000 teachers of NCR:
1. Monetary benefits such as a CNA incentive;
2. Non-monetary benefits such as regular and timely promotion; education program and training; study, calamity, and other leaves; free annual dental exam and treatment; free legal service; and others;
3. Assurances for better working conditions such as a prohibition on ancillary service, compensation for substitute teachers, maximum class size of 45 students, actual teaching of not more than six hours, with compensation for large class sizes and overtime;
4. Representation in committees; full information on matters of hiring, retiring, and other movement of personnel; consultation in policy making.
Rep. Tinio with Rep. Neri Colmenares and ACT Teachers Party-List Vice
-Chair France Castro during the Grand Lobbying for Salary Increase on
September 8, 2015. Colmenares is one of our most effective allies in our fight for higher salaries, lower taxes, and free, nationalist, and
