MANILA - The government needs to increase the internet allowance of teachers to help them shift to online learning during the coronavirus pandemic, Senator Grace Poe said Friday.

The one-time stipend of P3,500 is not enough and educators need P1,500 more per month, said Poe. This would cost roughly P1.3 billion for 857,000 teachers, she said.

"Their dedication and hard work to mold our youth should be matched by crucial infrastructure to make learning effective," she told TeleRadyo's Failon Ngayon.

• 'Internet load, not chalk': Poe says P3,500 allowance for teachers 'not enough' for new normal
• 2 senators flag DepEd: 60 pct of public school teachers unprepared for blended learning

As of June 24, only 40 percent of the country's 800,000 public school teachers have been trained on the blended offline-online learning.

Classes in public schools are scheduled to open on Aug.24.