President Duterte said he was getting ready to increase the salary of teachers but the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) foiled his plan and forced him to allocate the funds for the government's pandemic response efforts.
(ALBERTO ALCAIN/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Duterte made the statement as he led the simultaneous inauguration of school buildings in Valenzuela City on Thursday, March 4.
In his speech, President Duterte said teachers are very important to him because his mother Soledad was a teacher all her life.
He added that he was saving funds so he can finally give the much-awaited salary hike that teachers deserve.
"Nag-iipon na po ako sa totoo lang kasi sabi ko next ang teacher. Totoo ho iyan. Nandiyan si Secretary Briones (I was saving up because I said the teachers are next to get the salary increase. That's the truth. You can ask Secretary Briones)," he said.
He, however, said COVID-19 had other plans. "Now, when COVID came, bagsak talaga ang ekonomiya. Sarado ang mga factories, manufacturing, whatever kasi takot nga, eh (The economy was really down. Factories and other manufacturing companies closed down because people were scared). There was a lockdown," Duterte said.
"And between the economy and the health of the people with the pandemic whirling around, I thought it wise to cast my lot with the interest of the people in their health. Kaya ho nagkaganoon (That's why this happened)," he added.
President Duterte recognized how important education is and even stressed that the sector has always received the biggest budget allocation every year.
"Making quality education to all Filipinos is one of my administration’s top priorities in the development agenda," he said.
"Well as matter of fact, in the budget yearly, the highest --- number one is education… I don’t know the second. I can only remember the first because of the huge money allotted to the Education department," he added.
According to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the education sector received the largest portion of the national budget to the tune of P751.7 billion or 16.7 percent of the P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021.