Teachers' group slams P20-M budget for SONA

Teachers ’ group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) slammed the reported P20-million budget for President Marcos’ third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

- ELIZABETH MARCELO

In a statement yesterday, the ACT said that spending P20 million for a single day event is an “unconscionable extravagance,” given the “dire state of Philippine education and widespread poverty.”

“How can the Marcos Jr. administration justify spending P20 million on a single speech when millions of Filipino families struggle to put food on the table? This lavish expenditure is a slap in the face to the majority of our people living in poverty,” ACT chairman Vladimer Quetua said.

Quetua lamented the “oneday event splurge,” stating the education sector continues to struggle with the perennial shortages in classrooms, teachers, education support personnel, learning materials and facilities.

“This misplaced priority is emblematic of an administration out of touch with the needs of ordinary Filipinos,” Quetua said.