Senator Win Gatchalian on Thursday bared his plan to file a measure that will update the current provisions of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, in time for the observance of World Teachers' Day.
In updating Republic Act 4670, Gatchalian revealed that he plans to push for the granting of a special hardship allowance to mobile teachers, including those involved in the Alternative Learning System jobs.
The senator also seeks to "protect teachers from out-of-pocket expenses and non-teaching tasks."
He is likewise pushing provisions for teachers' basic rights and longevity pay.
Gatchalian emphasized the need to ensure full implementation of the law, which primarily aimed at improving the living and working conditions of public school teachers.
He pointed out that it has been 57 years since RA 4670 was passed, yet some of its provisions have not been fully realized, citing Section 22 of the law, which entitles public school teachers to a free annual physical examination.
Gatchalian lamented that while the Department of Education has provided teachers with monetary medical assistance since 2019, he pressed that "there is still no program for the annual check-up of teachers" as mandated by the Magna Carta.
In Section 26 of the RA 4670, a retiring teacher should be promoted one rank higher, and the salary of that rank should be the basis for calculating retirement benefits.
However, Gatchalian noticed that the current method of computation, being used by the Government Service Insurance System, relies on the average monthly compensation that the employee received during the last 36 months of service prior to retirement.
While Section 31 of the Magna Carta requires the DepEd Secretary to submit the annual budgetary requirements to implement the Magna Carta, Gatchalian observed that the agency only submits an omnibus budget request to Congress for its annual needs.
"Napapanahon na upang tiyakin nating tumutugon ang Magna Carta sa mga pangangailangan at hamong kinakaharap ng ating mga guro,"Gatchalian said as he bared to reporters his plans as the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.