International School v.

Quisumbing | 1 June 2000

FACTS: The private respondent is the International School who, pursuant to Presidential Decree 732, is a domestic educational institution
established primarily for dependents of foreign diplomatic personnel and other temporary residents.
The school is allowed by Sec 2 of the same decree above to employ its own teaching and management personnel selected either locally or abroad.
The School hires both foreign and local employees as members of its faculty, classifying them as either foreign-hires or local-hires. A foreign hire is
given 25% more salary than a local-hire. Aside from this, a foreign hire is given exclusive benefits like housing, transportation, shipping costs, taxes,
and home-leave travel allowance.
Respondent argues that a foreign hire is justified in receiving a greater salary because he/she is faced with economic realities when working far from
his/her own country notwithstanding the fact that he/she has a short term tenure of employment. Petitioner invokes the equal pay for equal work
clause as stated in the Social Justice article of the Constitution.
ISSUE: Whether the inequality in the salary between foreign and local-hires constitute a violation of equal protection of laws.
RULING: Yes. The discrimination regarding the higher salary of foreign hires is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Local hires must receive equal pay to that
of foreign hires. The Constitution exhorts Congress to give highest priority to protect and enhance the right of all people to human dignity, reduce
social, economic, and political inequalities. The Civil Code; to act with justice, give everyone his due, observe honesty and good faith The Labor
Code penalizes discrimination for women and men especially with regard to wages. The local hires render the same service as the foreign hires, and
are therefore entitled to the same wages.