Media Release:
COTABATO CITY – A total of 393 para-teachers from Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, and Maguindanao have received their three-month salaries recently worth Php45,000.00 each from the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE).
The amount sums up the teachers’ Php15,000.00 per month salaries from October – December 2020.
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal led the salary distribution on January 13-14, at the MBHTE Building inside the Bangsamoro Government Center in the city.
Of the 393 para-teachers, one was from Marawi City, 99 and 129 were from the 1st and 2nd districts of Lanao del Sur, and 88 and 76 from the 1st and 2nd districts of Maguindanao, respectively.
According to Minister Iqbal, para-teachers are those temporarily appointed in the absence of licensed teachers.
The para-teachers were the provisional teachers previously affected by MBHTE’s cease and desist order. [Related Story: BARMM adhered to CSC rules on provisional teachers – Sinarimbo]
With Php15,000 salary per month, the MBHTE re-employed them from provisional to Contract of Service following Minister Iqbal’s request to Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim and Ministry of Finance, Budget and Management (MFBM) to extend their services until the end of school year 2020-2021.
“Kami dito sa MBHTE ay kung mayroon kaming nakitang paraan, yun po ang gagawin namin. Inaaral po namin at wala talagang pwedeng gawin maliban dito sa ginawa natin na ‘yung mga provisional teachers ay susundin ang batas,” Iqbal said. [Related Story: MBHTE-BARMM to provide ‘humanitarian assistance’ for laid off provisional teachers]
(Transalation: We here in the MBHTE always look for ways and do it the right thing. We studied it and we did not see any other way than this solution that sticks to the law.)
Joharie S. Mangorsi, 46, has been a provisional teacher for 10 years in Lanao del Sur. He was rehired as para-teacher at Sultan Disimban National High School in Lanao del Sur Division II.
“I am glad kasi binigyan kami ni Minister Iqbal ng pagkakataon na makuha namin ang sahod namin at buong-buo natin itong tinatanggap bilang isang guro na nagseserbisyo,” Johari said.
(Translation: I am glad because Minister Iqbal gave me the chance to receive our salary and we accept it wholeheartedly as teachers in service.)
“At alam po namin itong BARMM ay isa sa napakahalagang nakamtan natin kasi nakita natin ang mga tama at mali,” he added.
(Translation: We know that BARMM is one of the most valuable achievements we got as we saw what’s right and wrong.)
Schedule of the releasing of salaries for para-teachers in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi is yet to be announced by the education ministry. (Bangsamoro Information Office) — (/)