Republic of the Phil

a
House of Representatives
Batasan Wills, Queson City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. _5392

Introduced by Representative Florencio Gabriel “Bem” G. Noel

EXPLANATORY NOTE
Article XIV, Section 5 (5) of the 1987 Constitution expressly provides that:

“The State shall 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.”

Public school teachers are amongst the most underpaid and overworked
professionals in our society. At present, public school teachers are receiving only
P3,500.00 for chalk allowance annually. When it was first implemented in 2015, the
ial P1,000.00 chalk allowance was later raised to P1,500.00. In 2017, through the
national budget, it was raised to P2,500.00, and for this year an additional P 1,000.00
pesos was added.

The current P3,500.00 chalk allowance only equates to a P16.00-a-day budget
for all the instructional supplies a teacher needs, which is not enough to cover the costs
of supplies. Thus, the teachers are forced to draw from their own finances to cover for
the budget deficit.

This bill seeks to increase the annual “Chalk Allowance” for classroom supplies
from P3,500.00 to P5,000.00 per teacher per school year, or P24.04 per school day,
thereby relieving teachers from additional financial burden.

Immediate approval of this bill is therefore sought.

co
FLORENCIO GABRIEL “BEM” G. NOEL
An Waray Partylist Representative


Republic of the Philippines —
House of Representatives
Batasan Wills, Quezon City

Eighteenth Congress
First Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 5392

Introduced by Representative Florencio Gabriel “Bem” G. Noel

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR A TEACHING SUPPLIES ALLOWANCE FOR PUBLIC
SCHOOL TEACHERS AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines
in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. — This Act shall be known and cited as the “Teaching
Supplies Allowance Act of 2019.”

SEC 2. Declaration of Policy. — \t is hereby declared to be the policy of the state
to promote and improve the economic status of teachers and assist them in
providing quality education to their students.

SEC. 3. Teaching Supplies Allowance. — The cash allowance to teachers for the
purchase of chalks, erasers, forms, and other classroom supplies and materials as
provided in the annual appropriations for the Department of Education shall be
known as the Teaching Supplies Allowance. The amount provided shall be
increased from Three Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (P3,500.00) to Five
Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) per teacher per school year. Said allowance shall be
paid only to classroom teachers.

SEC. 4. Periodic Review for Increases. — The secretary of Education is hereby
mandated to conduct a periodic review of the Teaching Supplies Allowance,
taking into account the current prices of classroom supplies, and, if warranted,
recommend the necessary increase in the amount of the allowance. The amount
required to cover the increase shall be included in the Department’s budget
proposal for the next fiscal year.


SEC. 5. Appropriations. — Such sums may be necessary for the implementation
of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.

SEC. 6. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in. the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,