29/07/2025
𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐓’𝐒 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐐𝐔𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍
𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑅𝐴 4670 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑆𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑇𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠
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𝟭. 𝗢𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐴 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠:
• Doubled the teaching supplies allowance to ₱10,000 via the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act.
• Reaffirmed the 6-hour daily teaching cap.
• Provided GSIS accident insurance and lifted “utang-tagging” on license renewals.
ASSERT believes that uplifting the teachers’ situation is crucial in addressing the learning crisis in the country. If the Marcos administration is genuinely concerned about the teachers’ rights and welfare, the simplest and most logical thing to do is to fully implement the 59-year old Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.
All the rights of teachers are explicitly enshrined in RA 4670. But for 59 years, the DEPED had never allocated budget for its implementation.
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𝟮. 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲: 𝗦𝗚 𝟭𝟭 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱
𝐴𝑆𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑇’𝑠 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑:
While SONA 2025 tackled some welfare improvements, it glaringly 𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.
• 𝙀𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮-𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙩 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 11 (₱30,024)—the 𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙩 for licensed professionals in government.
• This contradicts 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 15 𝙤𝙛 𝙍𝘼 4670, which mandates teachers’ salaries to be "comparable to other professions with similar qualifications."
• In 1991, 𝙀𝘿𝘾𝙊𝙈 𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮-𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙂 17. It's now 2025—34 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧—yet teachers are still denied even that minimum standard.
It is disheartening to note that the SONA never mentioned anything about upgrading teachers’ salaries. ASSERT has been demanding for the correction of teachers’ salary grade – from SG11 to SG20. The current SG 11 is not commensurate to the teachers’ status as professionals.
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𝟯. 𝗢𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻
𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐴 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠:
• Commitment to reduce non-teaching tasks.
• Hiring of administrative personnel.
𝐴𝑆𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑇’𝑠 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝐶ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘:
• Teachers continue to do clerical, data encoding, and logistical work.
• Implementation is 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬, 𝙫𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙—with no protection from being made default support staff in schools.
Education reforms should always be accompanied by budget and should undergo reality check. There is always a widening gap between pronouncements and the reality on the ground.
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𝟰. 𝗢𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺
𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐴 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠:
• Rollout of the ARAL Act for foundational skills recovery.
• K–12 recalibration in alignment with economic goals and critical thinking.
𝐴𝑆𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑇’𝑠 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑:
• The learning crisis started a long time ago. It was only exacerbated by the pandemic. DEPED programs and formulas worsen the learning crisis.
• Curriculum reform must not be reduced to bureaucratic restructuring—it must 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨, especially in under-resourced schools.
Curriculum review should engaged the teachers’ organizations because they are the ones doing the work on the ground.
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𝟓. 𝐎𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬
𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐴 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠:
• Deployment of laptops, smart TVs, and Bayanihan SIM cards.
• Streamlining textbook production from 3 years to 1.
These are promises. These programs should be grounded. The government should realized that while it is dreaming to address digital needs, it should first go down to the basics. Marami pa ang walang tulay, walang transportasyon papunta sa paaralan, maraming walang paaralan, walang g**o, walang principal. Ito dapat ang unahin habang ninanais na i-address ang digital infra. I-address din ang widening digital divide.
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𝟲. 𝗢𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗗𝗖𝗢𝗠 𝗜𝗜
𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐴 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠:
• Acknowledgment of EDCOM II’s report on systemic gaps: unfilled principal posts, teacher mismatch, underfunded programs.
• Plan to hire 15,000 new school heads.
𝐴𝑆𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑇’𝑠 𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒:
• These gaps were 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 1991 𝙀𝘿𝘾𝙊𝙈 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 and echoed since by teachers on the ground.
• Without empowered, participatory governance reforms, 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨.
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𝟕. 𝐎𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩
𝑆𝑂𝑁𝐴 𝐻𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠:
• ₱1.05 trillion allocated to education—the biggest share in the national budget.
• Transition to new DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara.
Budget allocation should also translate to improving the working conditions of teachers and not only result to Senate and House investigations on graft and corruption of education budget.
ASSERT challenges Sec Sonny Angara to muster the political will to fund and allocate budget for RA 4670. Addressing teachers’ rights and welfare will surely translate to learning improvements.
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📢 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐓’𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦
1. 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙍𝘼 4670 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡—including health benefits, leave privileges, 6-hour teaching cap, and free medical checkups.
2. 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: Upgrade entry-level public school teachers to 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚 20—long delayed since 𝙀𝘿𝘾𝙊𝙈 𝙄’𝙨 𝙎𝙂 17 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣 1991.
3. 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙣-𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙨 by hiring dedicated support staff in all schools.
4. 𝙀𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙪𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 and ARAL implementation.
5. 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, with school-level readiness and budget protection.
6. 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, not just top-down metrics.
