THE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGE OF TEACHERS IN THE PHILIPPINES 

FILIPINO TEACHERS OUGHT TO BE AWARE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THESE WELL-DESERVED BENEFITS.

There is no other Constitution in the history of the country that has given importance to teachers more than the 1987 Phil. Constitution.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution states: The state shall enhance the right of teachers to professional advancement . It shall "assign the highest budgetary priority to education to "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 fulfillment." 

Commonwealth Act 578 amended the Revised Penal Code to include teachers, professors, and persons charged with the supervision of public or duly recognized private schools, colleges, and universities, within the term "persons in authority."

RA 4670, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE MAGNA CARTA FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

details the rights, privileges and benefits of teachers such as: 

1) consent for transfer; 

2) safeguards in disciplinary procedure; 

3) no discrimination; 

4) married couples to be employed in the same locality; 

5) academic freedom; 

6) not more than 6 hours of actual classroom teaching; 

7) additional compensation for activities outside normal duties; 

8) salaries comparable to other occupations to insure teachers a reasonable standard of life for themselves and their families; 

9) salaries appropriated by local governments not to be less than those paid to teachers of the national government; 

10) cost of living allowance; 

11) special hardship allowances; 

12) medical examination free of charge once a year during the teacher's professional life; 

13) prohibition of unauthorized deduction from teachers' salaries; 

14) study leave; 

15) indefinite leave; 

16) salary increase upon retirement and 

17) freedom to establish or join organization of their choice.

These show that the welfare of professional teachers has been given much attention. After all, there is no truth to what is often said bout teachers "overworked and underpaid."