[ Manila Bulletin Online ] December 3, 2008
By PHOEBE JEN INDINO
CEBU CITY — Education Secretary Jesli Lapus announced here that the Department of Education is now coordinating with government housing agencies and private companies to provide public school teachers with affordable housing projects.
Lapus, who was here during the Teachers’ Day celebration of the Cebu City government, said they are now working with Gawad Kalinga, the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, and Pag-Ibig Fund for the teachers’ housing project.
"The teachers housing project is one of DepEd’s innovations to improve the status of the teachers in the country," he said, adding that the lack of permanent homes has been one of the major concerns of teachers today.
Lapus said he is also lobbying for a salary standardization bill for teachers that is already gaining support in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Once approved, the bill would raise the starting salary of teachers from P13,000 to P15,000 per month.
‘With the approval of the bill, more than 500,000 teachers in the country will soon be receiving a P9,000 salary increase that will be given in a span of three years," he said.
He also said that through this, teaching will once again become a preferred profession.
Lapus noted that during his term, teachers have already received a 10 percent increase in their salaries per month or a total of 20 percent increase from 2006 to 2007.
Meanwhile, Lapus said a Pulse Asia Survey has confirmed that the DepEd has gained national consciousness as a leading government department with a public approval rating of 63 percent.
