Senate President Vicente Sotto III recently filed a bill which will exempt public school teachers under all salary grades from paying income taxes. What Senate Bill No. 241 will specifically do is amend portions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 in order for it to reflect a tax exemption for Teachers I, II, and III.
In line with this, Sotto also proposes for holiday pay, overtime pay, night shift differential, and hazard pay of entry-level teachers be tax-exempted.
Photo from Educo.org
(Teachers Resort to Using Old Comfort Rooms as Faculty Area)
Sotto explained the rationale behind the bill in a statement, saying:
This bill is in consonance with the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers which aimed to promote and improve the social and economic status of public school teachers, their living and working conditions, their terms of employment and career prospects.
We recognize the inevitable fact that our teachers play a crucial and significant role. The future of our youth and nation lies in the nurturing hands of our teachers.. We consider them as our modern day heroes.
(Hardworking Teacher Transforms Old Restroom Into New Reading Corner With Scrap Materials)
This comes on the heels of various bills aiming to raise the minimum salary of teachers being filed in Congress. President Duterte addressed the issue as well in his latest State of the Nation Address, promising a minimal increase in their salary.
Do you support the passing of this bill? Let us know why or why not in the comments!
