DAVAO CITY — Cavite Second District Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla said that the newly signed Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act is a big help to the teachers.

Authored by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed it into law on 3 June, which provides for a higher yearly allowance for mentors and is a recognition of the sacrifices of teachers over the years.

“We are proud of it. This is our way of institutionalizing the teaching allowance or chalk allowance of the teachers from P5,000 to P10,000,” Revilla said at the opening of the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair on 7 June.

She clarified that it will be given this coming school year and is tax-free.

“There is no tax to be paid. This will help our public teachers in the country,” Revilla added.

According to historical data, public school teachers have been receiving a meager allowance for the actual conduct of teaching.

In 1988, they only received P100 allowance, P200 in 1989-1992, P300 in 1993-2007, P500 in 2008, P700 in 2009-2011, P1,000 in 2012-2014, P1,500 in 2015-2016, P2,500 in 2017, P3,500 in 2018-2020, and P5,000 in 2021 to present.

During the ceremonial signing, Marcos said that the newly-approved law would ease some of the teachers’ personal financial burden, which they carry for the sake of students and their love of their profession.

“For decades, they have willingly taken on the burden of having to spend their own money on classroom supplies to aid them in teaching. It must take an incredible amount of love to sacrifice what little you have for the sake of your students despite having financial worries of your own,” he added.

The President also commended the teachers for wholeheartedly embracing their duties and responsibilities.

He also thanked the House of Representatives and the Senate for working to pass the law.

“We listened, we persevered, and we took action. They embraced this wholeheartedly as their responsibility, as part of their duty as teachers, as part of their vocation,” Marco stressed.