ACT Teachers Party-List Representatives Antonio Tinio and France Castro filed House Resolution 1759 calling for an investigation into the non-implementation of the provisions of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers for teachers’ medical benefits.
“For 51 years, the law has assured public school teachers free compulsory medical examination and treatment and compensation for injuries. For 51 years, the government has failed to make these mandates a reality. It’s about time for our public school teachers to know the reasons for government’s neglect to provide their legally-mandated benefits, which include zero funding.”
House Resolution No. 1759 reads, “Since the enactment of Republic Act 4670 or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers in 1966, its provisions mandating health benefits for teachers, namely, (1) free compulsory medical examination and treatment and (2) compensation for injuries were never fully implemented.”
“Aside from spending thousands of pesos from their own pockets just to comply with the compulsory annual medical examination, teachers are left on their own to scramble left and right for money for medical bills when they are diagnosed with heart diseases, diabetes, headaches, depression and anxiety, gastrointestinal conditions, and many others,” said Castro.
“These illnesses and conditions are effects of physical and nervous strain on the teacher’s health and considered by law as work-related, and thus compensable occupational diseases. Sadly, teachers cannot afford to tap into their already meager salaries for medical examination and treatment, so it’s just either of two possibilities: let their medical condition be untreated, or they’re again off to Loandon” (pertaining “loan dito, loan doon”).
The solons in their resolution stressed that public school teachers demand the full implementation of the provisions of RA 4670 on free compulsory medical examination and treatment and compensation for injuries.
“The Duterte government should not continue ignoring this urgent demand. First, the House leadership, held by the Duterte supermajority, should immediately set hearings on HR 1759. Second, it should fully address the zero funding issue by providing for sufficient funds for the implementation of Sections 22 and 23 in the 2019 budget,” the solons ended.
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