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Militant, Progressive, Nationalist

The official newsletter of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers - Philippines

Regular Issue November 2010

C A M PA I G N U P D AT E S
1. HOUSE BILL 2142 OR THE
SALARY UPGRADING BILL-
Consultative assemblies are
ongoing nationwide to inform our
public school teachers nationwide
and to gain support for House Bill
2142. Within the National Capital
Region, the following divisions have
been reached – Valenzuela schools
teacher leaders, Caloocan schools
teacher leaders, Manila schools
teacher leaders, Makati schools teacher leaders
then Paranaque schools teacher leaders.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers and ACT
Teachers Partylist have also consulted with the
following regions and provinces: Davao-wide
schools teacher leaders, then also in La Union,
Negros, Camarines Norte, Mindoro, Sta. Cruz,
Laguna, Quezon.   This is an ongoing activity
until House Bill 2142 becomes a law.
Top Left: About 100 teachers from Caloocan City attended the City- wide
Last October 5, 2010, World Teachers’ Day, Consultation on HB2142. Top Rigth: Teachers march towards House of
we had a big mobilization at the House of Representatives in celebration of World Teachers’ Day 2010. Bottom Photo:
Representatives.   Some 450 teachers from Leyte Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez joins ACT TEACHERS Partylist in
all over Metro Manila marched from the the celebration of World Teachers’ Day activity at the North wing Lobby of the
Sandiganbayan to Batasang Pambansa calling House of Representatives.
for the enactment of House Bill No. 2142.  They posting at school bulletin boards, inside faculty
were welcomed by ACT Teachers’ Party List rooms and in other conspicuous places.
Representative Mr. Antonio L. Tinio and were
led inside the House of Representatives at We are also a member of Wage Fight – an
the North Wing Lobby for a program to honor alliance of all government employees under
the teachers on World Teachers’ Day.   Some the three organizations of government workers
Congressmen like Roilo Golez, Mong Palatino, (Courage, ACT, AHW),  that will join forces to
Teddy Casiño, Emmy de Jesus, Luz Ilagan, fight for a decent wage for all government
Rafael Mariano, Lucy Torres Gomez, J.V. personnel including teachers and non-teaching
Ejercito, Emmy Calixto, Emil Ong joined us and personnel.
greeted the teachers.   They committed to co-
author the bill. 2. GSIS – Last June 10 and July 19, we went
to Times St. to bring the problems of our public
Petition-signing asking for the support of the school teachers – foremost among which is the
congressmen for this bill is still on-going in low salary and the issues and concerns about
the different schools nationwide.   Lobbying our pension fund, the GSIS.  President Aquino
to respective congressmen of our teachers did not face us despite an earlier communication
is likewise being done in their congressional informing him that we would go there.
districts and in the House of  Representatives.
Some schools have done tarpaulin-hanging In July 23, we had a dialogue with his newly-
expressing support for the bill – this is being appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
encouraged.  Posters are also available for Mr. Daniel Lacson.   The retained old officers
were the ones who answered our questions since
Mr. Lacson was not familiar with the problems we
presented.  We felt that there was no immediate
change that could be instituted.   The old policies
of Winston Garcia will go on.   We expressed this
in a press conference on August 16, 2010.  After
writing Malacañang that we would meet with
them on September 3 regarding our GSIS woes,
we presented to the media our urgent appeal to
President Aquino regarding our issues and concerns
about GSIS.  In the afternoon of this same day, our
ACT Teachers Party List Representative and at the
same time ACT Chairperson, Mr. Antonio L. Tinio
made a privilege speech in Congress demanding
a stop to the illegal policies instituted by Winston
Garcia that have caused unwanted sufferings to
public school teachers and other government
employees. Congressman Escudero later stood up
and demanded that an investigation be done about
this immediately.
Last September 3, 2010, about 650 teacher leaders
from all the divisions of Metro Manila, including
some leaders from Central Luzon and Cavite went
to Malacañang hoping to personally bring these
GSIS concerns to the highest authority of our
land.  We were desperate that the problems were far
Update on the co-authors of the House Bill – as of October 22, 2010:
1. Abayon, Daryl – Aangat tayo Party-list
2. Almonte, Jorge T. - 1D Misamis Occidental
3. Amatong , Romel C. - 2D Compostela Valley
4. Angpin, Ma. Zenaida – 3D Manila
5. Aquino, Jose ll – 1D Agusan del Norte
6. Bacotabe, Rodel - Ako Bicol Party-list
7. Bagatsing, Amado – 5D Manila
8. Bagatsing, Amando S. -5D Manila
9. Balindong , Pangalian M. - 2D Lanao Del Sur
10. Bataoil, Leopoldo – 2D Pangasinan
11. Bautista, Franklin P. -2D Davao del Sur
12. Casiño , Teddy A. - Bayan Muna Party-list
13. Castelo, Winston - 2D QC
14. Catamco , Nancy A. - 2D North Cotabato
15. Co, Christopher - Ako Bicol Party-list
16. Cojuangco, Kimi S. –5D Pangasinan
17. Colmenares , Neri J. - Bayan Muna Party-list
18. De Jesus, Emerenciana – Gabriela Women’s Party-list
19. De Venecia , Ma. Georgina - 4D Pangasinan
20. Dimaporo, Imelda Q.
21. Duavit, Joel Roy – 1D Rizal
22. Enrile , Juan Ponse Jr. - 1D Cagayan
23. Enverga , Wilfredo Mark M. - 1D Quezon
24. Fabian, Erico Basillo A. - 2D Zamboanga City
25. Ferriol, Abigail – Kalinga PL
26. Flores , Florencio T. Jr. - 2D Bukidnon
27. Fortuno , Savio B. - 5D Camarines Sur
28. Garay, Florencio - 2D Surigao Del Sur
29. Garbin, Alfredo - Ako Bicol Party-list
30. Gatchalian, Rex- Valenzuela
31. Go, Ana Cristina S. – 2D Isabela
32. Go, Arnulfo - 2D Sultan Kudarat
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from being resolved even after the newly-elected
president promised reforms in all aspects of the
government for the benefit of everyone.  Again, we
were faced there by officers of the GSIS and DepEd
who had to merely say “sorry” for their long-time
negligence of their duty in the simple updating
of our records.  And again, our wish that policies
within GSIS that have been causing the continuous
suffering of our constituents were far from being
repealed.   We laid down pressing demands that
needed to be addressed urgently.  No substantial
solution has been given even if these could be done
during the first 100 days of the new presidency.  A
simple executive order could be the answer to all
these misery.   What is keeping President Aquino
so long to take immediate action on these?   We
promised we will go back to Malacañang this time
with a copy of an executive order which we will
ask him to sign so that we can be relieved with our
burdens about GSIS. 
Last September 8, ACT (through its Vice-
Chairperson Mr. Benjie Valbuena), was allowed to
sit as observer in the meetings between DepEd
and GSIS. Discussions in these meetings were all
about updating of records of the two agencies.  A
memorandum of understanding was eventually
signed before World Teachers’
Day and this was the only gift
given to us by the President on
World Teachers’ Day.
33. Golez, Roilo - Parañaque
34. Gomez, Lucy – Leyte
Last September 21, 2010,
35. Ilagan , Luzviminda C. – Gabriela Women’s Party-list
36. Lacson-Noel, Josephine Veronique R. –Lone Dist.,
ACT was invited to a hearing
Malabon City by the Senate Committee on
37. Lagdameo, Monique Yasmin - 1D Makati City Government Corporations and
38. Lanete, Scott Davies - 3D Masbate Public Enterprises.  We presented
39. Lazatin, Carmelo F. - 1D Pampanga our position paper regarding
40. Magsaysay , Milagros - 1D Zambales our demands to GSIS and this
41. Magsaysay, Eulogio R. –AVE Party-list set a basis for an investigation
42. Malapitan , Oscar G. - 1D Caloocan City of the GSIS.  We were assigned
43. Mariano , Rafael – Anakpawis Party-list
to gather evidences from
44. Mendoza, Mark Llandro – 4D Batangas
45. Nava , Joaquin Carlos Rahman A. - Lone Dist, Guimaras
public school teachers who are
46. Olivarez, Edwin DL. – 1D Paranaque affected by the premium-based
47. Ortega, Victor Francisco C. – 1D La Union policy and the claims and loan
48. Pacquiao, Emmanuel D. – Lone District, Sarangani interdependency program of
49. Palatino , Raymond V. – Kabataan Party-list GSIS.  This will be needed when
50. Rodriguez, Isidro S. -2D Rizal hearings about GSIS start.  We
51. Romulo, Roman C. - Pasig City have a GSIS Refund Claim that
52. Sacdalan, Jesus -1D North Cotabato public school teachers who have
53. Singson, Eric G. – 2D Ilocos Sur
been victims of these policies
54. Tinga, Sigfrido R.
55. Treñas, Jerry P. – Lone District Iloilo City
particularly can fill up and
56. Umali , Reynaldo V. - 2D Oriental Mindoro submit to ACT National with
57. Ungab, Isidro T.– 3D Davao City attachments of service records
58. Villar, Mark – Las Pinas and other supporting documents
59. Villarica , Linabelle Ruth R. - 4D Bulacan which we will submit to this
60. Yap , Susan - 2D Tarlac Senate Committee.
61. Yap, Arthur - 3D Bohol
62. Zamora-Apsay , Ma. Carmen - 1D Compostela Valley Our petition-signing for our
urgent appeal to the President-
shall go on nationwide and we intend to bring this
once more to the President when we return to
him within the next few weeks -November
26, 2010, Friday, to be exact.   The first
batch has been given to him last September
3, 2010.

3. Barangay and SK Elections – We held

dialogues with all the agencies that we will deal
with as we serve as Board of Election Tellers
on October 25, 2010.  Our demands included
(a) P4,000 election pay, (b) de-clustering of
precincts so that the number of voters slide
down to the maximum of 200 voters as in the
past as against the maximum of 400 voters done
by COMELEC, (c) an insurance of P200,000 in
case of death and the full reimbursement of all
hospitalization costs on injuries incurred resulting
from this election service, (d) five days service
credit as against the three days earlier expressed by
COMELEC, (e) police assistance to avoid violence in
hot spot areas, (f) free legal assistance to teachers
who may encounter problems with losing candidates,
and the recognition of our ACT Teachers’ Hotline as
in the past.  All these were granted except for the
first two since COMELEC had no more budget for
additional compensation.   We wrote to President
Aquino for assistance in this matter.  DepEd Usec
for Legal and Legislative Affairs, Atty. Alberto
Muyot endorsed our letter.  We have yet to hear the
response of the President. Regarding de-clustering,
it was late to do this since BETs have already
been assigned.   DepEd USEC Muyot adopted our
demands in the MOA which he had signed between
DepEd and COMELEC.   He also brought us to the
main office of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines
in the finalization of the MOA between DepEd and
IBP.  IBP will provide us legal assistance.  Our ACT
Teachers’Hotline for the Barangay and SK Elections
of 2010 began operations in the morning of October
24, 2010 and it shall continue to service BET’s as
long as they need such assistance.
4. The Department of Education’s K + 12 Basic
Education Program – The Alliance of Concerned
Teachers is basically against the implementation
of this program.   This is not the answer to the
achievement of quality education.   Contrary to
the expression of the Department of Education
that this will produce employable graduates, our
yearly graduates in the Philippines add to the
existing unemployed individuals. The 12 year basic
education system will not resolve unemployment
– we should instead amend our basic labor and
economic policies.  children and repair of houses.
Top Left: ACT TEACHERS Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio actively interpellates
the Department of Education Budget during the Congressional hearing about
this. Top Rigth: 30 congressmen sign a resolution to stop Budget Cuts on
Education and other Public Services. Bottom Photo: Teacher-Leaders from
National Capital Region and nearby provinces gathered to disscuss immediate
plans about our campaign regarding Salary Upgrading and GSIS Problems
and Issues.
Joselyn  Martinez.  We reiterated our demand that
cash be given to all teachers instead of clothing
material.   That is why once again, our teachers
will be receiving cash and they will therefore have
the option of buying the uniform material in an
establishment of their choice.  The committee will
choose the design of such uniform during the last
week of November.  We will update you then.
 
6. The Provident Fund – Again the Alliance of
Concerned Teachers sits as a Board member in the
National Committee on Provident Fund.  As of now,
it has a total of more than 36M pesos which would be
allocated to regions, and another 56M pesos which
is still with the DBM for transfer to the national
provident fund.  46M pesos is still for transfer from
the regions to the provident fund.   The provident
fund is the total fund of the accumulated service
fee collected from the deductions of payments of
loans of teachers from private lending agencies that
are accredited by the Department of Education.  It
is loaned out to teachers by DepEd at a very
low interest rate of 6.5% provided the loans are
emergency involving hospitalization, education of

5. Updates by our National Uniform 7.National Issues like the issue on National
Committee – The Alliance of Concerned Teachers Budget – Congress has passed the basic education
sits in the National Uniform Committee through budget.   We have passed a paper at the Senate
our National Council Member for Malabon, Ms. to Senator Loren Legarda regarding our concerns
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in the approved Basic Education Budget of Congress.  We
also sent this to Sen. Cayetano , Sen. Villar and Sen.
Angara.  The discussion of this budget will now be done in
the Senate.
 
8. Relief and Rehabilitation Program of ACT – ACT
does relief operations whenever necessary.  This time we
are calling on our colleagues to help our countrymen in the
North who have been affected by typhoon Juan. Donations
can be forwarded to the ACT National office or you can call
up 4539116 so that we can pick up such donations..###

ACT TEACHERS PARTY-LIST CONDEMNS

TEACHERS JOIN IN UNITY
WALK TO CELEBRATE
WORLD TEACHERS’ DAY
DAVAO CITY – A unity walk around the
city concluded the 2nd General Assembly
of Kahugpungan sa mga Magtutudlo ug
Kawani sa Edukasyon sa Mindanao-
Alliance of Concerned Teachers Davao
(KAMKEM-ACT Davao) last October 4,
2010 in an advance celebration of the
World Teachers’ Day.
“The teachers’ unity walk which was
attended by almost a hundred teachers,
shows that the teachers in the city and
nearby provinces are united in advancing
the cause for economic and democratic
rights,” said Elenito Escalante, newly-
elected Chairperson of KAMKEM-ACT
Davao.
“Indeed, we are determined in
strengthening the unity of teachers and
education workers,” Escalante said.
The assembly was attended by
teachers from 31 public elementary and
secondary schools, and private schools
from Davao City and Davao del Norte.
ACT Teachers Partylist Representative
Antonio L. Tinio, who was also present,
consulted with the teachers regarding
the Public School Teachers’ Salary
Upgrading Bill or House Bill 2142.
The Salary Upgrading Bill raises the
minimum salary grade of teachers from
Salary Grade 11 to Salary Grade 15.
“The teachers expressed support for
the bill. We will be lobbying with the
local government unit and our district
representatives to have their support
for the immediate passage of the bill,”
Escalante said.
RAILROADING OF 2011 NATIONAL BUDGET
The House of Representatives last night
approved the General Appropriations
Act of 2011 (House Bill 3101) on third
reading, despite calls made by several
Representatives to defer voting to allow
for discussion of amendments proposed
by the House leadership. ACT Teachers
Party-List and other progressive groups
denounced this railroading of the national
budget, explaining that such a move
violated the principle of transparency.
ACT Teachers Representative Antonio
Tinio condemned the fact that the
P1.645-T budget was reached without
even discussing the amendments
proposed during recess.
“Interpellations and discussions are
crucial to budget proceedings. With
the majority railroading of HB 3101, the
Aquino administration proved to be no
different from the Arroyo regime,” said
Tinio.
Rep. Tinio joined 20 other legislators
in voting against the budget, which
was approved with 175 votes on third
reading.
Contentious provisions publicized during
the budget hearings at the committee
level and during the plenary still abound
in next year’s budget. Debt servicing
proved to be top priority (including P 357
B for interest payments), while dubious
allocations and dole-out schemes
dominate public expenditures.
The P34.1 B earmarked for the
Department of Social Welfare and
Development contains P21.9 B for the
controversial Conditional Cash Transfer
program. In contrast, state colleges and
universities are only given P24.3 B. While
the Department of National Defense is
given P104.7 B and the President has
P 650 M for the Confidential Intelligence
Fund. Specialty hospitals will only
receive P 970 M.
“Funds for essential social services like
health and education will continue to be
scarce. When government is not willing
to fund our schools and teachers, we
can’t expect any real progress for 2011,”
concluded Tinio. Allocations which are
susceptible to corruption, misuse, and
conversion such as the Special Purpose
Funds and lump sum amounts (P 15 B for
the Public-Private Partnership Strategic
Support Funds for the Departments of
Agriculture and Agrarian Reform and
NEDA, among others) are also featured
in the Aquino budget.
With a budget no different from the
Arroyo administration, Rep. Tinio adds,
Filipinos cannot expect real reform
and transparency from the Aquino
administration, whose electoral victory
hinged on promises of a “daang
matuwid” and “kung walang corrupt,
walang mahirap.” ###
Progressive Partylist Representatives led by Bayan
Muna, ACT Teachers, Gabriela, Anakpawis and
Kabataan Partylist condemn the P21.9 B Conditional
Cash Transfer program of the Aquino Administration in
a press conference at the House of Representatives
last October 5, 2010.

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Published Monthly by the National Secretariat of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Philippines with
Militant, Progressive, Nationalist
Office address at 2/F Teachers’ Center, Mines St. cor. Dipolog St., Bgy. VASRA, Quezon City, Philippines.
Telefax: 453-9116 Mobile: 09178502124; 09198198903 Email: act_philippines@yahoo.com
Website: www.actphils.com Facebook: Act Phils
The official newsletter of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers - Philippines Alliance of Concerned Teachers - Philippines is a member of Education International.

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