Senator Pia Cayetano. Senate PH File

Senator Pia S. Cayetano emphasized the need for the education budget to take into account the entirety of the sector's needs, including the welfare of teachers, during the interpellation on Senate Bill No. 1964, the Teaching Supplies Allowance Bill, in the Senate session held on May 10, 2023.

As the Senior Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee that handles education and health and one of the commissioners of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), Senator Cayetano raised her concerns about the total budget required to fulfill the mandate of the bill, as well as the number of teachers to be covered by the bill.

Senator Cayetano expressed her full support for the measure's objective to provide teaching supplies allowance to public school teachers but stated that the education budget must also prioritize the welfare of teachers and their need for better education.

She emphasized that the education sector has significant financial needs, and finding sufficient funding for all of these needs is crucial. Senator Cayetano also mentioned that the EDCOM II, which she chairs, is reviewing several things that need to be funded for the education sector, including the welfare of teachers.