Senatorial candidate and Makati Mayor Abby Binay emphasized on Wednesday that the government should invest in the professional development of teachers through programs for their continuing education and training.

“We must ensure that our teachers are highly skilled and able to keep up with the rapid changes brought about by technology. They cannot be left behind. If they are, their students will also fall behind,” Binay said.

She explained that just as lawyers are required to pursue continuing legal education, teachers should also continuously update their knowledge and skills to stay current with developments in their field.

Without such efforts, she warned, investments in modernizing school facilities would have minimal impact on the current state of education in the country.

“Ultimately, the quality of education rests on the effectiveness and competence of our teachers. They should be empowered to be excellent educators capable of adapting to technological advancements that are rapidly transforming traditional methods of teaching,” Binay said.

However, she noted that the government should subsidize the costs to avoid adding financial burdens on teachers.

“We should invest in the professional development of teachers and provide them with ample opportunities to become better educators,” Binay said.

She added that she aims to implement nationally the programs introduced in Makati, where her administration has consistently prioritized education by allocating an annual budget to provide teachers with the tools and training they need.

Through Project TEACH, which stands for Teacher Effectiveness and Competence Honing, the city government, using its Special Education Fund, has subsidized executive courses for public school teachers with annual allocations ranging from P7 million to P15 million.

Starting this year, the city is also offering an Executive Class Diploma program in partnership with St. Paul College of Makati.

Other benefits for public school teachers in Makati include free access to health services under the Yellow Card program, covering medical checkups, laboratory services, hospitalization and maintenance medicine, among others.

At Mayor Binay’s initiative, teachers also receive additional monetary benefits, including a P3,000 monthly incentive, P6,000 year-end and fringe benefits, P2,500 monthly allowances for SPED teachers, P3,000 for ALS, P4,500 for ASATIDZ teachers, and a P5,000 chalk allowance for preschool teachers every school year.