Cagayan de Oro City (10 July) -- IN these trying times, all teaching and non-teaching personnel of the City Schools Division of Cagayan de Oro will heave a sigh of relief with the granting of the mandated 10% salary increase.

The good news came after the city's Local School Board (LSB) chaired by City Mayor Constantino G. Jaraula unanimously approved the granting of the 10% salary increase for the division's personnel during yesterday's meeting held at the City Mayor's Office.

The funds for the teachers' pay hike will be sourced out from the current salary savings of the division, according to city schools division superintendent Dr. Myrna S. Motoomull who reported to the body that the city school's division has a current salary savings of P1,118,454.

Aside from the 10% salary increase, the LSB also approved the 30% increase of the teachers' hardship allowance- an extra cash benefit given to teachers who are assigned to depressed areas in the hinterland barangays of the city.

At present, teachers in the so-called hardship areas are receiving hardship allowance ranging from P300 to P600 a month, depending on the distance and location of the school.

In approving the 10% salary increase for the teaching and non-teaching personnel and the 30% increase of the teachers' hardship allowance, Mayor Jaraula hopes that the additional increase will help the city's public school teachers cope with the impact of the fare hike and the rising costs of fuel and basic commodities.

At the same time, the LSB okayed the purchase of nine sets of computers and printers amounting to P500,000, which will be distributed to the districts of North ll, Southwest, West l, West ll, Central, East l, East ll, North l and South.