Press Release
December 20, 2008

Miriam Seeks Incentives for Teachers In Rural Areas

To address the brain drain in rural areas, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago filed Senate Bill No. 2934 establishing grant programs to retain highly qualified teachers in rural areas.

"Brain drain not only happens when the intellectual or technical personnel of a developing country migrates to developed countries, but it also happens between rural and urban areas," Santiago said.

The senator said that there is little incentive for highly qualified teachers to go and stay in rural schools, and her bill, also known as the Rural Teacher Retention Act, acknowledges the higher level of challenge in these areas that makes it difficult for teachers to stay.

"Many of our teachers find it really hard to realistically make a career teaching in these communities," Santiago said.

The bill aims to create an incentive system for highly qualified teachers who shall commit to stay and teach for at least three years.

"As a probinsyana, I strongly urge the government to provide equal opportunities throughout the education sector and prioritize high quality education for children in rural areas for them to fully develop into productive citizens," Santiago said.

News Latest News Feed