Updates

Hundreds of teacher-leaders from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), and teachers' federations of the National Capital Region, will troop to Malacanang today at 3pm, to air their concerns on the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to President Benigno Aquino III.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) condemned the scandalously exorbitant salaries and allowances of the officials of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) which was reported at the Senate probe on Wednesday.

Matagumpay na inilunsad ng ACT TEACHERS Partylist-Manila/U-Belt Chapter ang forum-talakayan na pinamagatang “ANG PAMBANSANG WIKA SA PANAHON NG JEJEMON.” kahapon, Agosto 24, 2010, sa Philippine Normal University, Main Auditorium, Taft Ave., Manila.

Nitong nakaraang mga buwan, sa panahon ng kampanya para sa pambansang eleksyon ng Mayo, nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataong umikot sa iba’t ibang probinsya ng ating kapuluan upang makapanayam ang mga public school teachers at mapag-usapan ang kanilang kalagayan at mga hinaing. Saan man ako magpunta, iisa ang kanilang pambungad. Dapat daw tugunan ang kanilang mga problema sa GSIS (Government Service Insurance System).

Mariing kinukondena ng Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) ang marahas na pag-disperse ng mga security guard ng DepED sa mga kabataang nagpapahayag lamang ng kanilang mga lehitimong saloobin sa DepED.

“Kasuklam-suklam ang tanawing aking nabungaran sa telebisyon na ipinapakita ang makahayop na pagtrato ng mga security guard ng DepED sa aming mga kabataang estudyante,” ayon kay Ms. France Castro, ACT Secretary General.

The militant Alliance of Concerned Teachers disclosed that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank could be the brains behind the popularly-opposed imposition of Value-Added Tax (VAT) on toll fee/MRT Fare Hike and urged the government to adopt alternative income-generating measures which will not be detrimental to the people’s welfare.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers is set to join the national protest against the compromise agreement between the Hacienda Luisita management and a number of the estate’s farmers and farm workers on August 18.

“To support the farmers’ cause is the sacred duty of every Filipino. We all eat and consume rice and other farm products, thus we cannot be silent on the issue of land reform. This affects us all,” said ACT Secretary General, Ms. France Castro..

“When Winston Garcia was the President and General Manager of GSIS, policies were approved and implemented through mere board resolutions. These policies were unlawful and have caused hardships on the GSIS members”, Ms. France Castro, the Secretary General of ACT related.

These policies are the Premium-Based Policy and CLIP or the Claims and Loan Interdependency Program of the GSIS.

The Secretary of Education has announced that the details of this K plus 12 program will be made public on October 5, World Teachers Day.

He noted that it is not just the question of adding more years but giving the Filipino youth a holistic education curriculum that will prepare them for real life. While PNoy  included in his first SONA, this new program as part of his reform projects aside from upgrading education facilities and plugging the gap in classrooms, teachers and textbook shortages.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) today called on the lawmakers to prioritize in their investigation the “excessive” salaries and allowances of Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) executives, under its former President and General Manager Winston Garcia.