BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance granting a 10% discount on all education-related purchases of all public and private school teachers, professors, trainers and coaches in various business establishments in the city.
The ordinance, authored by Councilor Lenadro B. Yangot, Jr., stated that the grant of the discount on all education-related purchases or reproduction of materials will be for teachers to use in the learning process and teaching.
To avail of the prescribed discount, Yangot added that the schools and teachers must present any valid identification card validating their position as a school teacher, professor or instructor in an accredited educational institution, and that the materials to be purchased are education-related.
Under the proposed local legislative measure all participating school and office supply stores granting the 10% discount may deduct the amount discounted from the business tax collected by the local government.
According to him, the discount grant for teachers on education-related purchases opens the door for even more purchases on much-needed tools and instruments that will serve to improve the extent and value of their services, and assures the city of the quality of education they uphold.
He noted that Baguio City has become the center of education in Northern Luzon, with around one-third of the city’s population composed of students. The amalgam of schools in the city had been recipients of various prestigious awards for a number of years now, all thanks to its roster of professional teachers.
Section 5, Article XIV of the Constitution provides that the State shall not only enhance the right of teachers to professional advancement but also shall ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfilment.
Republic Act No. 4670, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, provides for the sustained promotion and improvement of the social and economic status of public school teachers, their living and working conditions, their terms of employment and career prospects so they may compare favourably with existing opportunities in other walks of life, and attract and retain in the teaching profession more people with the proper qualifications, it being recognized that advance in education depends on the qualifications and ability of the teaching staff and that education is an essential factor in the economic growth of the nation as a productive investment of vital importance.
Further, RA 7836, called the Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act, provides that the State professes the vital role of teachers in nation-building and development through a responsible and literate citizenry.
By Dexter A. See
