Health workers and teachers spent Valentine鈥檚 Day holding separate rallies to press their demands for higher wages.
Carrying placards showing black hearts and wearing red wristbands, members of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) gathered on Wednesday in front of the Department of Health main office in Manila for a 鈥淏lack Hearts Day鈥� protest.
They called on the government to make a monthly pay of P33,000 the entry salary for public and private health workers, and to also immediately release their long overdue COVID-19 benefits.
鈥淭his situation is deemed alarming as our country is in a deep economic crisis as well as our public health-care system. And yet, the Marcos Jr. administration鈥檚 response to health workers and people鈥檚 demands is Charter change,鈥� said Robert Mendoza, AHW national president and Health Workers United for Wage Increase convenor.
鈥淚f the government is really recognizing the noble and heroic work of health workers, heed our demand for a P33,000 entry salary for both public and private health workers and other government employees,鈥� said Ernesto Bulanadi of the Tondo Medical Center Employees Association-AHW.
A Nursing Assistant 1 in a government hospital currently receives a monthly pay of P15,586 under Salary Grade 4 although private nurses receive less. The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) National Capital Region also held separate protests in front of different schools in Quezon City, Pasig, Caloocan, Marikina and Manila where it called on the government to give them 鈥渏ust and living鈥� wages.
鈥業nsensitive and negligent鈥�
ACT chair Vladimer Quetua said they had been asking for a salary increase since the beginning of the year, following the end of the Salary Standardization Law V and the recent hike in mandatory contributions imposed by state insurers.
But their calls have fallen on deaf ears, with Quetua pointing out how Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte has been 鈥渋nsensitive and negligent to the situation of the teachers and other education workers and employees.鈥�
鈥淸We] reiterate that it is necessary to address education professionals鈥� needs,鈥� he said, adding that teachers can perform well 鈥渋f economic and professional rights are addressed properly.鈥�
Quetua expressed concern about moves to amend the Constitution, particularly allowing foreigners to own schools, which could leave them 鈥渕ore overworked, underpaid and undervalued.鈥�
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鈥淎llowing foreign ownership of a Philippine school 鈥� will lead to the voluntary unloading of the government鈥檚 responsibility鈥� for Filipinos鈥� right to an education that is suitable or appropriate to their needs,鈥� he said.
He reiterated their group鈥檚 call to the government for a substantial salary for teachers with an entry level pay of P50,000, as well as a P33,000 minimum wage for all private and public workers.