The Department of Education (DepEd) has expressed support for a congressional bill that would provide a P1,000 monthly allowance to students from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

In a radio interview, DepEd Undersecretary Malcolm Garma disclosed that the department “would welcome everything that will benefit all of our students.”

“We welcome this kind of value-added for our learners but of course we have to make a balance regarding the DepEd’s budget,” Garma said.

He added that he hopes the allowance would “motivate” parents to send their children to school.

“We are willing and ready to help in passing the law and its guidelines,” Garma affirmed, though the department has no current details on how the allowance would be distributed.

Potential methods include distribution through DepEd directors, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, or “existing mechanisms for social amelioration.”

Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste filed House Bill 27, which proposes the P1,000 monthly allowance to cover transportation and school supplies. Leviste estimates the government would need to allocate P300 billion annually for the program. His bill includes a requirement for students to attend at least 80 percent of their classes.

In a separate legislative effort, Representative Antonio Tinio of ACT-Teachers and Representative Renee Co of Kabataan Partylist have filed a bill seeking to increase the minimum salary of public school teachers from P30,000 to P50,000 per month.

The lawmakers stated that the proposed increase aims to “close the gap” between teachers’ salaries and the rising cost of living.

They highlighted that while teachers’ salaries saw only a 5 percent increase, soldiers’ and policemen’s salaries rose by 50 percent to 100 percent under the previous Duterte administration.