NEW PARTYLIST - ACT TEACHERS

As election period is coming in we should be informed of our candidates platform and their background.Will they move for changes in the society by creating laws that would benefit the basic sectors? One of the new partylist that I read has opted to promote the teachers voice. Hereunder are the details about this partylist aspirant.

Prominent educators and educational staff led by Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera (Professor Emeritus and National Artist), Antonio Tinio (ACT Chairman), Clodualdo Cabrera (former All UP Workers Union President and currently U.P. Staff Regent) and Dr. Francis Gealogo (Faculty, Ateneo de Manila University) established the ACT Teachers Partylist in January 2008.

It pledges to serve as the real voice of the teachers – Ang Tunay na Tinig ng Teachers! It will fight for the interest and well-being of all public and private school teachers as well as all members of the educational sector.

General Platform of ACT Teachers Partylist

As the Real Voice of Teachers! (Tunay na Tinig ng Teachers!), the ACT Teachers Partylist supports and fights for three major points. First, the economic rights and welfare of teachers and educational staff; second, relevant reforms in the educational system; and third, good governance.

1. Fighting for the economic rights and welfare of teachers and educational workers: The ACT Teachers Partylist fights for the interests and demands of teachers and educational workers towards raising their wages and benefits, and the betterment of their teaching and working conditions.

· Upgrade teachers’ salaries to salary grade 15.

· Remove the Claims and Loan Interdependency Program or CLIP of GSIS, among the other unjust practices of the said institution.

· Demand transparency in the governance of fund agencies such as the GSIS, SSS, PhilHealth, Housing, among others.

· Enforce the Magna Carta for Private and Public Sectors which pushes for the • rights and betterment of teachers.

· Reserve sufficient amount of funds for the benefits of teachers and educational • staff, and regularly fulfill its disbursement.Advance the right to form unions in the educational sector.

2. Relevant reforms in the educational system: The ACT Teachers Partylist supports the development of quality but affordable education, especially for the poor, which strengthens the nationalistic aspirations of the people and the spirit of service.

· A higher educational budget – 6% of the GDP must be allocated for education to immediately fill the current shortages in operations, personnel, logistics, rooms, books, supplies, among others.

· Free and accessible elementary and high school education, and affordable college education.

· Push for the use of Filipino and the local languages, as well as the use of native pedagogy, in schools.

· Return Filipino values, history, literature and social sciences as subjects in • basic education.

3. Good governance: The ACT Teachers Partylist supports good governance, and puts the interests of the majority of Filipinos at the forefront versus that of the minority and the foreign.

· Fight anomaly and corruption in government.

· Prioritize social services such as education.

Declaration of Principles

We, members of the ACT Teachers Partylist, committed to be the true voice of the country’s teachers and aware of our special role in shaping the minds and values of our children and youth, pledge to represent, assist and defend teachers and other education workers in advancing our vocation, economic welfare and democratic rights guided by the following declaration:

· The children and youth have the right to an education that inculcates love of country, develops scientific thinking and is attuned to the needs of the majority of the people especially the marginalized and underrepresented.

· We, the teachers, have a major role in developing children and the youth into responsible, civic-minded and trustworthy members of society.

· We have a right to decent salaries, favorable working conditions and so• cial security. We should be provided with school facilities sufficient for our teaching needs and with venues and opportunities to enrich our teaching competencies.

· The dynamic participation of teachers and other education workers in working for positive changes in our society in unity with other sectors should be encouraged and strengthened.

· We need to venture out of the classroom and campus to initiate and sup• port legislative and policy measures to reform the educational system, increase the budget for education, justly compensate and provide development programs for those in the public sector.

· We pledge to unite with other sectors of Philippine society, especially the economically deprived, in the fight against foreign domination, abuse of power, graft and corruption, trampling on civil liberties and academic freedom and other obstacles to our nation’s development.

· We, especially the public school teachers, are also the guardians of suffrage. We will help ensure clean and honest elections and actively fight election fraud.

· We demand and will strive for responsible and effective governance.

Who can be members of ACT Teachers PartYList?

· teachers

· education workers

· students of education

· retired teachers

· parents of students

· other individuals who believe in the goals of ACT Teachers Partylist.

How can you join the ACT Teachers Partylist?

Please get in touch with any member of the ACT Teachers Partylist on campus or in your community.

Or get in touch with the ACT Teachers Partylist Regional Headquarters

Website: www.act-teachers.org

e-mail: actpl.smr@gmail.com or actpl2010@gmail.com

call or text: 0928-740-3976 or 0908-900-5770

What can you do?

Inform us of issues and problems that you think the ACT Teachers Partylist should address.

Give us your ideas on how we can strengthen the role of the ACT Teachers Partylist bilang Tunay na Tinig ng Teachers!

Be a member.

Invite others from your family, relatives, friends, former classmates and teachers, neighbors, co-employees and others to be members.

Attend our activities and invite others to join you.

Help solicit resources needed for the partylist’s activities and campaign.

Know more about the ACT Teachers Partylist and join an action committee.

Ang Tunay na Tinig ng Teachers!