Philippine Education Officials Appeal For Safe Release Of Kidnapped Teachers

File photos of kidnapped teachers Quizon Freires, Janette Delos Reyes and Rafael Mayonado.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 26, 2009) – Philippine education officials on Monday made new appeals to suspected Abu Sayyaf militants to release three teachers kidnapped in Zamboanga City.

The trio - Quizon G. Freires, 28; Janette C. Delos Reyes, 29; and Rafael L. Mayonado, 24 – were on a motorboat returning to Zamboanga from a working break when gunmen intercepted them at sea near Zamboanga and brought them to nearby Basilan Island.

Education Secy. Jesli Lapuz expressed concern over the safety of the hostages.

“We are deeply concerned with the safety of our teachers. They preferred to be teachers here than abroad. Why do they have to go through this ordeal? In taking them, the children under their care are deprived of the education they so rightfully deserve,” Lapuz said.

The kidnappers have demanded P6 million ransoms for the safe release of the government teachers.

“Our teachers come from poor families and wish nothing more than support their parents, brothers, and sisters,” said Dolores Alcantara, local schools superintendent.

“These teachers give their time to nurture the children of Zamboanga City to be better citizens and contribute to the economic growth of Mindanao. The parents cannot raise the amount demanded and the government follows a no ransom policy. We pray that the teachers be released,” she said in a statement.

Authorities tagged Abu Sayyaf as behind the kidnappings. (Mindanao Examiner)

Appeals for release of kidnapped ICRC team, teachers in the Philippines mounting

MANILA, Philippines - House Speaker Prospero Nograles appealed to the country's top Islamic leaders to help in securing the safe and unconditional release of the three public school teachers and three International Red Cross Volunteers who have been abducted by armed men in separate incidents in Mindanao as he pointed out that these acts of terrorism are pushing back gains to bring peace and progress in Southern Philippines.

“ These people who are behind these dastardly acts of terrorism are throwing away all our efforts to finally usher in an era of peace and progress in Mindanao. I'm appealing to our Islamic leaders to step up and help in securing the safe and unconditional release of the teachers and the IRC volunteers who are believed to have been kidnapped by Islamic armed groups,” Nograles said in a statement.

Nograles said that while the unrelenting cases of armed attacks and kidnapping by Islamic extremists are isolated in few areas in Mindanao, these incidents are big turn-off to investors even with the bright prospects of investments on mineral, agriculture and oil exploration in the region.

“There are bright prospects for investments in Mindanao and these are major ones which will employ thousands of Mindanaoans. However, the continuing peace and order problem in some areas are serious concerns and everyone should help to stop these acts of terrorism,” he said.

Nograles said that under the P1.415 General Approapropriations Act, many infrastructure development projects are centered on the development of Mindanao including the establishment of a Mindanao Railway System which will criss-cross Mindanao mainland.

“We are rushing this Mindanao Railway System but the peace and order situation in some areas is a continuing concern,” he said.The three teachers – Janette de los Reyes, Rafael Mayonado and Freires Quizon – were snatched by armed men off Sacol Island last Friday and are said to have been brought to Basilan.

A ransom of P6-Million is allegedly being demanded by the kidnappers for their safe release.Several weeks ago, gunmen believed to be members of the Abu Sayyaf also kidnapped three volunteers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) team that included a Swiss and an Italian national in Jolo, Sulu.

Swiss national Andreas Notter, Eugenio Vagni of Italy and Filipina Jean Lacaba were on a relief and medical mission when they were kidnapped in Patikul town. A P5 Million ransom is allegedly being demanded by the kidnappers for their safe release.

“If we are really sincere in turning Mindanao into a place of peace and prosperity, we should pitch in and Mindanaoans, Muslims and Christians alike, should resist these acts of terrorism by helping our law enforcement authorities get to them. Let's stop blaming the government and make our contribution for the sake of Mindanao's future. Let's not allow these thugs to turn Mindanao into Somalia and Afghanistan,” Nograles said.

The Department of Education also appealed for the release of the teachers.

"Our teachers come from poor families and wish nothing more than support their parents, brothers, and sisters. These teachers give their time to nurture the children of Zamboanga City to be better citizens and contribute to the economic growth of Mindanao. The parents cannot raise the amount demanded and the government follows a no ransom policy. We pray that the teachers be released," said Zamboanga City Division Superintendent Dolores Alcantara.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus earlier instructed Undersecretary for Regional Operations Ramon Bacani and the local education office to coordinate with the authorities. He also tasked them to assist the families of the victims. "We are deeply concerned with the safety of our teachers," expressed Lapus. "They preferred to be teachers here than abroad. Why do they have to go through this ordeal? In taking them, the children under their care are deprived of the education they so rightfully deserve."

1,300 Muslim Teachers Take Special License Exam In Sulu Province

More than 1,300 Muslim teachers take the "licensure" examination Sunday, April 06, 2008, in the southern Philippine province of Sulu. President Gloria Arroyo sent a team from the Professional Regulation Commission in Manila to supervise the examinations of teachers at the Sulu State College in Patikul town. It was the second time since last year the PRC has conducted the examinations in Sulu. Many teachers say they cannot afford the high cost of traveling to Zamboanga City to take the licensure examinations. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 06, 2008) – More than 1,300 Muslim teachers took their licensure examination Sunday in the southern Philippine province of Sulu.

It was the second time since last year the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) held such examinations in the province. President Gloria Arroyo ordered the licensure examination in Sulu after on the request of Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan.

Tan said the teachers cannot afford to go to Zamboanga City in Mindanao Island to take the examinations.

“It was so difficult for the teachers to go to Zamboanga because they cannot afford to pay the cost of travel. With a meager salary, teachers would rather spend their money on food and medicines,” Tan told the Mindanao Examiner.

The examination, held at the Sulu State College, took more than 8 hours and teachers are optimistic they will pass the long and arduous written test.

German Palabyab, PRC Director, said at least 1,370 teachers took the examination. He said they will hold another licensure examination in September. “From now on there will be regular licensure examinations for teachers in Sulu, at least twice a year and this is all part of our effort to help in the educational system in the province,” he said.

Palabyab admitted the difficulties of the teachers in Sulu to take the examinations in Zamboanga City because of the high cost of travel and other expenses.

“It is difficult really for the teachers to become a professional because they have to attend review sessions that cost an arm and a leg. President Arroyo is very supportive of our endeavor and we are happy to be part of this. We all have a stake in the future of our young people,” he said.

Last week, Tan hired a group of educators to conduct review classes for the teachers to prepare for the licensure examination.

Many temporary state teachers in Sulu have not been paid their salaries the past months, others since 2007, because they lack government requirements, such as the PRC license that will enable them to be professional.

Hundreds of teachers last year had walked out of their classes to protest the alleged failure of the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to pay their salaries. But regional education officials insisted the teachers have not been paid because they either not passed the PRC licensure examination or are not qualified.

Sulu has more than 5,000 teachers and about 900 of them are with temporary status serving some 50,000 students in 19 towns.

Teachers here have blamed problems of delayed and missing salaries and contributions to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to corruption. More than P389 million of teachers' contributions to GSIS were allegedly missing and that this has ballooned to over P600 million over the years and yet ARMM continues to deduct insurance premiums from their salaries.

The teachers were asking for a formal Congressional or Senate investigations into the missing GSIS contributions and salaries and jail those who would be found guilty of embezzling funds.

The Department of Education topped the list of the government budget recipients with P138 billion allocated as follows: P2 billion for the repair of school buildings; P760 million to cover the backlog of classrooms; and P420 million for school seats and P330 million to hire new teachers.

But while the bulk of the national budget goes to education, it remains inadequate to address the problems crippling the education sector.

The Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), a national confederation of government employees and their unions and associations, said teachers are among the skilled workers that have joined the exodus of Filipinos leaving for abroad due to the lure of higher pay.

Attracting and retaining competent public school teachers remains a huge problem in the Philippines.

Many state teachers are overworked but underpaid. A public school teacher here only gets around P10,000-P15,000 a month while a Filipino teacher in the United States can earn up to P40,000 or more.

Low-paying jobs, deplorable working conditions and lack of opportunities in the country also drive some teachers to become domestic workers or caregivers just so they can work abroad. (Mindanao Examiner

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Teachers' Group To Hold News Conference On Situation In Philippines

State teachers will hold a press conference on December 16, 2007 regarding their stand on the education budget, the continued outmigration of teachers and its impacts to basic education in the Philippines and the situation of migrant workers, among other issues.

Public Services Labor Independent Confederation

+63 62 9244710

www.pslink.org

The Mindanao Examiner Internet Broadcast News: Delayed Salaries, Unpaid Wages Hound Southern RP Teachers

Problems, Woes Top Teachers' Agenda At National Assembly In Philippines

QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 12, 2007) - Each day about 3,000 Filipinos leave the country to work overseas. And many of these migrant workers are young women educators seeking greener pastures abroad, leaving the country with a shortage of talent and a worsening education crisis.

This continued outmigration of teachers is one of the critical issues that will be addressed in the first National Assembly of basic education sector teachers with the theme “Women and Young Educators Uniting Towards Achieving Transformative and Liberating Education” to be held on December 15-16 at the Occupational Safety and Health Center in Quezon City.

Organized by the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), a national Confederation of government employees and their unions and associations, in collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO), the event will gather 100 union leaders representing 250,000 public elementary and high school teachers from all over the Philippines to discuss pressing concerns of women educators and ways to improve basic education outcomes.

Teachers are among the skilled workers that have joined the exodus of OFWs leaving for abroad due to the lure of higher pay. Attracting and retaining competent public school teachers remains a huge problem in the country when teachers here are overworked but underpaid.

A public school teacher here only gets around $200-$400 a month while a Filipino teacher in the US can earn $4000 or more. Low-paying jobs, deplorable working conditions and lack of opportunities in the country also drive some teachers to become domestic workers or caregivers just so they can work abroad.

“Decent work and pay for educators are keys to achieving quality education,” Dante Arienza, Deputy-General Secretary of the PSLINK, told the Mindanao Examiner.

“However, it is easy for the government to forget about us teachers. Decades after the enactment of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, many of its provisions have still not been enforced. Every elections we risk life and limb to serve as inspectors and canvassers and yet many of us have not been paid yet for our services. The government really just considers us as slaves.”

“It is no wonder then that many teachers go abroad. It is truly depressing to see our best teachers becoming domestic workers in other countries instead of training the minds of our youth today.It is even more depressing to know that these teachers would not have left had they been accorded what is due them,” Arienza said.

Amid the nation’s education crisis and the unabated migration of many of the country’s most brilliant educators, legislators have increased the budgetary allocation for the Department of Education (DepEd) in the General Appropriations Act for 2008 with the Senate just recently passing on third and final reading the P1.277 trillion national budget.

The Deped topped the list of the budget recipients with P138 billion allocated as follows: P2 billion for the repair of school buildings; P760 million to cover the backlog of classrooms; and P420 million for school seats and P330 million to hire new teachers.

But while the bulk of the national budget goes to education, it remains inadequate to address the problems crippling the education sector.

“The budget may have been increased but it still falls short of addressing the gaps in education. Also, increases do not amount to anything if the administration will not address issues of corruption which diverts funds from public service projects to the pockets of a few greedy individuals,” Arienza said.

Aside from low pay and budget for education, teachers are also disgruntled with the unfair practices of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

Many teachers criticize the GSIS for its excessive deductions, compounded interests on delayed remittances of GSIS premiums, failed computerization program and undue suspension of housing and salary loans.

“It is high time the government reform the GSIS,” said Arienza. “It is certainly unfair that while teachers comprise almost half of the entire bureaucracy which contributes to the GSIS, they are made to suffer all sorts of inconveniences and difficulties because of the gross mismanagement of the state pension fund.”

Teachers in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) were also complaining about non-payment of their salaries the past months and were threatening to stage protests. The ARMM is composed of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Maguindanao and Lanao provinces.

Disgruntled Teachers In Sulu Hold Protest Rally, Classes Suspended

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 03, 2007) – Hundreds of disgruntled government teachers walked out of schools Monday in the southern Filipino province of Sulu and threatened to barricade themselves unless their salaries have paid.

The teachers complained that they have not been paid their wages the past months by the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and that their contributions to the state pension agency which are worth over 600 million pesos since 2003 were also missing.

They threatened to stage a mass protest should ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan fail to act on their problems. More than 5,000 teachers are currently teaching in Sulu province, about 950 kilometers south of Manila.

“The teachers are no longer reporting for work. We can no longer take it; our plight is so difficult now. We are suffering,” Faizal Kaddi, secretary of the Sug Educators Forum, told the radio network dzRH by phone from Jolo town, where they held a protest rally in front of the Department of Education.

Kaddi said they received reports that teachers in Basilan province also walked out of their classes.

“The whole world should know how difficult the situation of the teachers in the ARMM. We cannot bear it anymore and we are slowly losing our dignity,” he said.

In October, more than 1,000 public school teachers sought the help of Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan and asked him to President Gloria Arroyo of their plight.

Abdulbasit Pawakil, president of the larger Federation of Sulu Teachers, also asked for a government audit and to investigate the problems of delayed and missing salaries and contributions to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

He said that as of 2003, more than P389 million of teachers’ contributions to GSIS were missing and that this has ballooned to over P600 million and yet ARMM continues to deduct insurance premiums from their salaries. “What is going on? We know the problems, yet nobody is acting on it,” he said.

The teachers were asking for a formal Congressional or Senate investigations into the missing GSIS contributions and salaries and jail those who would be found guilty of embezzling funds.

Others have called on Ampatuan to resign for his failure to address the problems of the teachers in Sulu. They also wanted the Department of Education in Manila to take over the responsibilities of deducting state pension contributions and paying their salaries from the ARMM.

Lawyer Oscar Sampulna, ARMM Executive Secretary, denied all the allegations and insisted the teachers received their salaries on time.

“They are receiving their salaries. Those who are complaining were temporary teachers whose special permits to teach had not been renewed or revoked basically for their lack of the proper documents required by the Department of Education,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

None from the Department of Education in ARMM or any of its representatives went to Sulu to talk to the teachers about their complaints. Sampulna said those who were complaining should go to the ARMM in Cotabato City in Maguindanao province about their problems. (Mindanao Examiner)

Teachers To Boycott Village, Youth Polls In Southern Philippines

Government teachers in Sulu province listen to a forum Sunday Oct. 14, 2007 in Jolo town. More than 1,000 teachers sought help from Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan saying that hundreds of them in the province have not been paid their salaries the past months by the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and that their contributions to the state pension agency which are worth over 600 million pesos since 2003 are missing. The teachers have threatened to stage a mass protest and boycott village and youth polls on Oct. 29 should ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan fails to act on their problems. More than 5,000 teachers are currently teaching in Sulu province, about 950 kilometers south of Manila. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 14, 2007) – Thousands of disgruntled government teachers in Sulu province in southern Philippines have threatened to stage a mass protest and boycott upcoming village and youth polls if the Muslim autonomous region fails to release their salaries.

The teachers claimed that many of them have not been paid their salaries the past year and that their contributions worth more than P600 million to the state pension were allegedly missing.

More than 1,000 public school teachers on Sunday sought the help of Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan and asked him to tell President Gloria Arroyo of their plight.

Teachers from different towns trooped to the Sulu State College in Jolo town and sent an emissary to Tan for a dialogue. The forum lasted more than 6 hours with Tan assuring the teachers that he would discuss their problems with ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan.

Jackaria Rasik, president of the Sug Educators Forum, said the teachers will boycott the village and youth elections on Oct. 29 if their salaries are not paid.

“We will boycott the polls. The teachers are fed up of these recurring problems. The ARMM should pay the salaries of the teachers or else there won’t be any elections in the whole of Sulu,” he said during the forum.

He said the government should also investigate corruption allegations in the ARMM.

Abdulbasit Pawakil, president of the larger Federation of Sulu Teachers, also asked for a government audit and to investigate the problems of delayed and missing salaries and contributions to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

He said that as of 2003, more than P389 million of teachers’ contributions to GSIS were missing and that this has ballooned to over P600 million and yet ARMM continues to deduct insurance premiums from their salaries.

“What is going on? We know the problems, yet nobody is acting on it,” he said.

Tan said the teachers were asking for a formal Congressional or Senate investigations into the missing GSIS contributions and salaries and jail those who would be found guilty of embezzling funds.

“Today, I join you in all your sacrifices and difficulties and I will assure all the teachers that these problems will be investigated,” he said.

Last month, more than 500 teachers also sought Tan’s help about their missing salaries. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine Teachers Decry Poor Working Conditions, Delay In Benefits

Filipino teachers during the World Teachers' Day celebration in Manila. Many teachers accuse the government of ignoring their plight and urge President Gloria Arroyo to carry out true reforms that will benefit not only the teachers, but all state employees.

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 06, 2007) – About a thousand teachers held a peaceful rally in Manila, coinciding with the World Teachers’ Day, to assert their rights and call attention to poor working conditions of the country’s more than a half a million government teachers.

Most of those who joined the assembly were from four national teachers’ unions - the National Federation of Teachers for Democracy (NAFTED), Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC), the Teachers and Employees Association for Change, Education, Reforms and Solidarity (TEACHERS, Inc.), and the Teachers’ Organization in the Philippine Public Sector (TOPPS).

Rey Jesuitas, TOPPS president, said the education crisis haunting the Philippines is partly due to the deplorable working conditions and lamentable pay of public school teachers.

He said the teachers were urging Manila to carry out reform in the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) policies that will address their plight.

They also urged the government to appoint a new GSIS president who can undertake important reforms that will benefit not only the teachers, but all government employees.

The GSIS oversees the social security benefits of government employees estimated at more than 1.5 million. At present, a lawyer from Cebu province, Winston Garcia, is the GSIS president.

“We therefore call the government to reform the GSIS. This will be possible only if Garcia is sacked and replaced by an official who is transparent and has genuine concern for public sector workers,” Jesuitas said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

Militant labor groups allied with government labor unions have previously protested Garcia’s continued stay at the GSIS and blamed him for the delays in loans and other state benefits of civil workers.

The teachers who joined the rally have given a failing grade on Garcia’s performance as president of the GSIS.

“As teachers, we decided to come up with a report card to rate how Garcia has fared so far in managing the national pension fund of government workers and he failed,” Jesuitas said.

“Garcia was rated in terms of financial management, efficiency of operations, transparency and accountability, consultation and participation, consistency and service orientation. He received a failing grade in all, getting below the 75% standard passing average, and even got a 0 rating in transparency and accountability and in service orientation.”

“Garcia completely deserves to get a failing grade. In fact, I believe he should have gotten zero in all areas. GMA (President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) is to blame too for the woes of the teachers and other government workers, after all Garcia is there primarily because of GMA,” he said.