LESSON 4

THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF TEACHERS

IN THE PHILIPPINES

TOPIC
The Rights and Privileges of Teachers in
the Philippines
LEARNING OUTCOME
At the end of the lesson, you should be
able to discuss the rights and privileges of
teachers in the Philippines

“To deny people their human rights is to deny their very humanity.”
- Nelson Mandela

After having learned the demands that learners, parents, school officials, the academic
community, the larger community and the state put on teachers, let us discuss their
rights and privileges.

To fully appreciate the legal bases of professionalizing teaching in the Philippines, it is

important to examine the constitutional basis of Philippine education. Article XIV of the
1987 Philippine Constitution provides the general framework for education in the
country. It shows how the state recognizes the importance of education, science and
technology, cultural development, and sports and wellness in the life of the state and of
the people. Article XIV embodies the utopian and economic goal for education in the
Philippines. It discusses the educational goals and purposes of the Philippines. It
describes the commitment of the state for the education of the Filipino people.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution states that the State shall:

 Enhance the right of teachers to professional

advancement;
 Assign the highest budgetary priority to
education; and
 Ensure that teaching will attract and retain its
rightful share of the best available talents
through adequate remuneration and other
means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Filipino teachers ought to be aware and knowledgeable of these well-deserved benefits.

There is no other Constitution in the history of the country that has given importance to
teachers more than the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Republic Act 232, otherwise known as the “Education Act of 1982” was signed into law
by the then President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Sections 10, 11, and 16 of this law are
helpful in understanding the rights and duties of teachers. It discusses the system of
education in the Philippines.
It was when President Marcos issued Presidential Decree 1006 on September 22, 1976
when the National Board for Teachers was formally organized. This was the first board
to supervise the teaching profession in the country. All teachers back then have to take
the Professional Board Exam for Teachers (PBET).

On December 16, 1994, through the enactment of Republic Act 7836, a law entitled “An
Act to Strengthen the Regulation and Supervision of the Practice of teaching in the
Philippines and Prescribing a Licensure Examination for Teachers and for Other
Purposes,” otherwise known as the “Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of
1994,” dictated that regulation and licensing of teachers was transferred to the
jurisdiction of the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC). This made the teaching
profession or teachers equal or at par with other professionals such as medical doctors,
engineers, lawyers, and nurses, among others.

R.A. 7836 also includes the supervision and regulation of the Licensure Examination for
Teachers (LET). It covers all teachers in all levels of education, from preschool to
secondary, whether part-time of full-time.
Section 15, (e) (3) of R.A. 7836: Qualification Requirements of Applicants- A Graduate of
a school, college, or university recognized by the government and possesses the
minimum educational qualifications, as follows:

1. For teachers in pre-school, a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education

(BECED) or its equivalent;
2. For teachers in the elementary grades, a bachelor’s degree in elementary
education (BSEED) or its equivalent;
3. For teachers in the secondary grades, a bachelor’s degree in education or its
equivalent with a major and minor, or a bachelor’s degree in arts and
sciences with at least eighteen (18) units in professional education; and
4. For teachers of vocational and two-year technical courses, a bachelor’s
degree in the field of specialization or its equivalent, with at least eighteen
(18) units in professional education.

Commonwealth Act No. 578 amended the Revised Penal

Code to include teachers, professors, and persons charged
with the supervision of public or duly recognized private
schools, colleges and universities, within the term “persons in
authority.” It protects teachers by providing a provision on:

 Punishment against any person guilty of assault against teaching

personnel
 According due respect and protection for teachers
who are considered persons in authority

Republic Act No. 4670 or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers states the
following rights, privileges, and benefits of teachers such as:
 Academic freedom particularly with regard to teaching methods
 The right to be free from compulsory assignment not related to their duties
defined in their appointment or employment contracts unless given additional
compensation
 Freedom from involuntary contributions
 Compensation for employment injuries in accordance with existing laws
 Establishing, joining, maintaining labor organization of their choice to promote
their welfare and defend their interest
  Employment in the same locality for those who are married whenever possible
 The salary scales appropriated by a city, municipal, municipal district, or
provincial government that are not lower than those provided for teachers of
the National Government
 Special hardship allowances equivalent to at least twenty-five percent of their
monthly salary for those who qualify
 A study leave for not more than two school years after ten years of teaching
 A study leave of more than one year provided permitted by the Secretary of
Education but without compensation
 An indefinite sick leave of absence when the nature of the illness demands a long
treatment that will exceed one year at the least
 One range salary raise upon retirement for those who have fulfilled the age and
service requirements of the applicable retirement laws which shall be the basis
of the computation of the lump sum of the retirement pay and the monthly
benefits thereafter
 Those who teach in multi-grade classes, mobile teachers and Non-formal
Education or Alternative Learning System (ALS) Coordinators are entitled to
hardship allowance.
 Stability of employment and security of tenure under existing laws
 Safeguards in the disciplinary procedure
 Consent for transfer
 No discrimination
 Married couples to be employed in the same locality
 Not more than six hours of actual classroom teaching
 Additional compensation for activities outside normal duties
 Salaries comparable to other occupations to insure teachers a reasonable
standard of life for themselves and their families
 Salaries appropriated by local governments not to be less than those paid to
teachers of the national government
 Cost of living allowance
 Medical examination free of charge once a year
during the teacher’s professional life
 Prohibition of unauthorized deduction from
teacher’s salaries
 Salary increase upon retirement, and
 Freedom to establish or join organization of
their choice

These show that the welfare of professional teachers has been given much attention.
After all, there is no truth to what is often said about teachers “overworked and
underpaid.”

Activity 1

1. What are the positive and the negative practices on the systems of hiring, promotion,
and tenure of public school teachers?
2. Interview a public school teacher. What are the benefits that he/she is receiving from
the government?
3. If you are to add more rights, privileges and benefits to be accorded to teachers, what
would they be?
 Activity 2

Answer true if the statement is correct and false if it is wrong.

1. Special hardship allowances of professional teachers is equivalent to at least ten

percent of their monthly salary for those who qualify.
2. Teachers are entitled to additional compensation when they serve during elections
paid by DepEd.
3. Teachers are entitled to a study leave for one year after a minimum ten years of
teaching.
4. Teachers enjoy equal remuneration, regardless of qualifications.
5. Teachers enjoy free medical examination even after retirement.
6. Teachers enjoy salary scales that provide for a gradual progression from a minimum
to a maximum salary by means of regular increments, granted automatically after
three years, if the efficiency rating of the teacher concerned is satisfactory.
7. Teachers enjoy stability of employment and security of tenure under existing laws.
8. Teachers have safeguards in disciplinary procedure.
9. Teachers may be entitled to a study leave of more than two years provided permitted
by the Secretary of Education but without compensation.
10. Teachers may be transferred even without their consent from one station to another
where there is urgent need.
11. Teachers may enjoy full compensation allowed for one year study leave on condition
that the teacher takes the regular study load and passes at least seventy-five
percent of his courses without any condition.
12. Teachers may have more than six hours of teaching but not exceeding nine hours.
13. Teachers who are couples/married must be employed in the same locality.
14. Teachers without exception are entitled to Special Hards hip Allowances.
15. Those who teach in multi-grade classes, mobile teachers and Non-formal Education
Or Alternative Learning System Coordinators are entitled to hardship allowance.