Ni Liezelle Soriano

NANAWAGAN si House Deputy Majority Leader Alfred Delos Santos sa Commission on Higher Education (CHED) at state universities and colleges na gawing benepisyaryo ng kanilang scholarship programs ang mga dependent ng tatlong overseas Filipino workers na napatay sa giyera sa pagitan ng Israel at ng Hamas militant.

Sinabi ni Delos Santos na tungkulin ng estado na pangalagaan ang mga dependent nina Angeline Aguirre, Paul Vincent Castelvi, at Loreta Alacre, partikular ang mga nasa kolehiyo at mga papasok na sa kolehiyo.

Ayon kay Delos Santos, maituturing na bayani ang mga Pilipinong nasawi sa Israel.

“Silang tatlo ang matuturing na mga bayani ng kasalukuyan panahon dahil sa nagbuwis sila ng buhay habang sila’y OFW, habang nag-aalaga ng kanilang mga pasyente,” ayon sa mambabatas.

“Nangyari iyan sa gitna ng maraming taon ng sakripisyo para sa pamilya, at pagbibigay dignidad sa lahat ng Pilipino at sa ating bansa,” ayon pa sa kongresista.

Sinabi ni Delos Santos na may flexibility ang CHED at SUCs upang matukoy kung alin sa kanilang mga scholarship program, grant, o subsidies ang ilalapat sa bawat dependent ng OFW fatalities.

Nauna nang ipinag-utos ng Department of Foreign Affairs ang mandatory repatriation ng mga Pilipinong nasa Gaza.

(ai/mnm)

By Dang Samson Garcia

ANG Probinsyano Party-list Rep. Alfred delos Santos filed a measure that seeks to upgrade the salary grade level of public school teachers.

House Bill 9157 or the proposed Salary Increase of Public School Teachers Act of 2023 will raise the pay of public school teachers from Salary Grade 11 to Salary Grade 15.

Delos Santos said that public school teachers are underpaid.

“Despite having a crucial role in molding the minds and in shaping the future of our nation’s youth, they only receive a small compensation that is not at all commensurate to the value of their contribution in our country,” he said.

The lawmaker said that starting 2023, upon the effectivity of the fourth tranche under the Salary Standardization Law, teachers with the position of Teacher I only receive P27,000 or Salary Grade 11 per month.

“This, in many instances, pushes some educators to pursue other sources of money to cover for other expenses. Worse, many of them pursue better working opportunities abroad,” he added.