State employees in Negros Occidental, including public school teachers will hold a consultation meeting at the Boys Scout of the Philippines building in Bacolod City on Nov. 24, to plan how to claim their unpaid Cost of Living Allowance and demand for an across-the-board wage increase of P3,000.

Several teachers and local government employees yesterday claimed that the government owes them unpaid COLA from 1989 to 1999, and from 1999 to present because it unjustly dissolved their COLA when Congress passed RA 6758, or the Salary Standardization Law of 1988.

Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Negros chairperson Gilda Quiatchon said in a press conference yesterday, that a series of protest actions will be conducted in Bacolod City if the government will not release their unpaid COLA, which is long overdue for them.

She said she will also encourage public school teachers to visit different media outlets in Bacolod City to air their demands and gain sympathy from the people and private sectors.

She slammed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for backtracking from granting the COLA.

She said the teachers are willing to have the COLA even on a "staggered basis".

Richard Gelangre of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Bacolod, said Arroyo should look into the welfare of the teachers to alleviate their situation because they are also "economic beings".

Gelangre said Arroyo is not sincere in addressing the need of teachers who patiently educate the Filipino youth in order they will be useful and effective citizens of the country. He said the group is not only asking salary increase of the state employees, but also of the private sector.

Dan Alcoriza, Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees regional vice chairman, said the mismanagement of prioritizing the budget resulted in the crises being faced by the government now.

Alcoriza said they are planning a big campaign to press for the immediate payment of their COLA estimated at P124,000 for every state employee.*DMG

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