MANILA – This Valentine’s Day, instead of traditional gifts like roses and chocolates, the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives is opting for a heartfelt gesture: a love letter to the nation’s educators in the form of a proposed bill. The bill, filed by Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel, and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro as House Bill No. 9920, aims to significantly increase teachers’ salaries, with the goal of raising the minimum monthly salary to P50,000.
In their explanatory note, the lawmakers express their intention to narrow the disparity between teachers’ salaries and the cost of living, as well as to rectify the imbalance caused by the doubling of entry-level pay for military and uniformed personnel.
“Heeding the demand for substantial salary increases promotes and protects the rights of the majority of our front-liners in education to decent lives, to be fully compensated for their hard work, and to a just return of the taxes they are faithfully paying,” they pointed out. “It is a matter of justice, one that must be granted at the soonest possible time for public school teachers.”
If approved, this measure would nearly double the existing basic wage for public school teachers, which stands at approximately P27,000 per month, as noted by Castro. This adjustment would also align with Salary Grade (SG) 15 under the Salary Standardization Law (SSL).
In addition to the proposed salary hike, the bill also advocates for an annual update in the compensation of public school teachers and educational support staff “to align with the cost of living.”
“What we want for professional teachers is that they get P50,000 a month,” Castro said in a video message during the filing. “Our current wages are not enough for a decent living wage.”
Currently, there are approximately 803,000 educators occupying positions from Teacher 1 to Teacher 3 in the country, earning Salary Grade (SG) 11, which amounts to around P20,179 under the Salary Standardization Law (SSL).
According to the Makabayan lawmakers, this amount falls short of meeting the family living wage of P1,119 per day or P33,570 per month required to sustain a family of five.
They pointed out that while other frontline workers such as soldiers and police officers have seen salary increases ranging from 50 to 100 percent under the Duterte administration, teachers have only received slight increases of a little over P6,000 spread over four years.
These incremental raises, they argue, are quickly eroded by inflation and excise taxes, leading many teachers to opt to work abroad despite the associated risks and hazards, where they can earn almost three to eight times the entry-level salary in the Philippines.
“The disparity between the salary and the family living wage continues to widen, as inflation steadily rises without corresponding timely increases in salaries,” they noted. “With the measly salaries that public school teachers are receiving, they could not afford their families’ basic needs.”
Day of protests
On Valentine’s Day, teachers are poised to express their heartfelt disappointment over the government’s inaction regarding their demands for higher starting salaries, improved benefits, and the hiring of additional non-teaching staff to alleviate administrative burdens.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) plans to stage protests at selected schools in Metro Manila, advocating for a starting monthly salary of P50,000, a proposal reportedly under government consideration for its long-term strategy.
This year, ACT National Capital Region (ACT-NCR) revealed that the government had also pledged to conduct a study, in collaboration with the World Bank, on enhancing teachers’ salaries and benefits.
In response to these ongoing concerns, the teachers’ group announced plans for school-based activities on Wednesday to highlight their dissatisfaction with the current administration and urge immediate action to address educators’ economic grievances.
ACT-NCR president Ruby Bernardo disclosed that six protest centers have been designated for these activities: Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma High School and Lagro High School in Quezon City; Manila Science High School in Manila; Barangka High School in Marikina City; Manggahan Elementary School in Pasig City; and Vicas Market in Caloocan City.
Overworked, underpaid
“We want to show in these activities how the government can be heartless to teachers,” Bernardo told the Inquirer. “Two administrations have passed and both failed the teachers by not making good on their promises to increase our salaries and benefits.”
Bernardo highlighted that despite the dedication of public school teachers throughout the country during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, they are yet to receive their 77-day overtime (OT) pay. Additionally, she noted the absence of sick leave benefits and the outstanding OT pay for this period. Instead of adequate compensation, all they’ve received is a mere “thank you.”
She emphasized that if the government truly values the well-being of teachers, it should address these pressing issues promptly. Bernardo questioned the delay in implementing promised salary increases, expressing frustration over the lack of action.
Similarly, ACT chair Vladimer Quetua urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to hire more non-teaching personnel, known as education support personnel (ESP), to alleviate the administrative burden placed on teachers. Quetua criticized the insufficient number of administrative personnel hired by DepEd for 2023 and 2024, stating that they do not adequately fulfill the tasks previously carried out by teachers.
Quetua reiterated the demand for DepEd to employ a minimum of two ESPs for each of the 47,931 schools nationwide, ensuring that they do not face the same overwhelming workload as teachers. He suggested that hiring an additional 95,540 ESPs nationwide with an entry-level pay of P33,000 could significantly lighten the workload for teachers.
