Teachers’ groups demand anew P50,000 pay, more funds

Ahead of today’s observance of World Teachers’ Day, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines and Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) staged separate protests in Manila to demand the long-overdue P50,000 monthly entry-level salary.

The salary increase, equivalent to Salary Grade (SG) 15, has been among the appeals pushed by teachers and advocacy groups since 2023, together with free medical checkups and an increase in allowances.

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On Sunday, ACT held a protest rally outside Malacañang to also call for a P5,000 Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (Pera), and higher government spending on education.

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Pera, which has remained at P2,000 since it was introduced almost two decades ago in 2009, is intended to supplement government workers’ salaries and ease the impact of rising living costs.

ACT also urged the government to allocate 6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product to education, saying additional funding was needed to address shortages, deteriorating school conditions and the country’s learning crisis.

TDC, meanwhile, gathered at nearby Plaza Miranda, Quiapo, calling for a hybrid career progression system, stronger protections, better workplace conditions, full implementation of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers and sufficient funding for schools.

Closing the gap

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In February 2024, the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives filed House Bill No. 9920 seeking to raise the minimum monthly salary for teachers to P50,000 and close the gap with the rising cost of living.

Then ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, one of the bill’s sponsors, pointed out that teachers’ salaries were not enough to qualify as a decent living wage.

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At the time, the authors noted that there were around 803,000 educators in Teacher 1 to Teacher 3 positions who were earning SG 11, or about P20,179, under Republic Act No. 11466, or the Salary Standardization Law (SSL).

They said this was “insufficient to meet the family living wage of P1,119 per day or P33,570 per month” to sustain a family of five,” compared to front-liners, such as soldiers and police, who received a salary increase of between 50 and 100 percent under the Duterte administration.

HB 9920, however, did not advance from the committee level, despite Education Secretary Sonny Angara’s pronouncements when he took over the Department of Education in July 2024 that improving the benefits of teachers would be among his priorities.

Angara had vowed to look into the proposals seeking the salary increase and expressed confidence there will be a pay hike under the Marcos administration either in 2024 or 2025.

In June 2025, Makabayan lawmakers refiled the measure as HB 203, pointing out that raising teachers’ minimum pay to P50,000 was already covered by RA 11466.

Yet despite the amendments implemented in the SSL in 2020 and 2024, teachers’ monthly pay remained at SG 11 (Step 1) or P30,024, they said.

HB 9920 was referred to the committee on appropriations in July 2025 and was stalled there.

Corruption, accountability

At Sunday’s rallies, protesters also called for greater accountability over corruption.

“We challenge the President to prove that his recognition goes beyond speeches and statements by taking immediate steps to improve the conditions of teachers, education workers and the entire education sector,” ACT secretary general Raymond Basilio said in a statement.

He said teachers and the public should benefit from government revenues through better salaries, benefits and social services, rather than see public funds wasted through corruption.

“If this administration remains unmoved, teachers will continue to organize and fight to hold accountable those responsible for worsening people’s hardships and corruption, and to change the rotten system,” Basilio added.

Last week, President Marcos called for stronger teacher preparation and career development, noting that some educators are still assigned to subjects outside their specialization and that training does not always reflect classroom realities.

Speaking at the 2026 Teachers Awards at the Manila Hotel, Mr. Marcos said his administration would work to address gaps in teacher preparation and professional development to help create safer and more supportive learning environments.

Monday protest

ACT said thousands of teachers and education workers, along with government employees and other sectors, would join a larger mobilization and march to Mendiola today.

TDC national chair Benjo Basas said World Teachers’ Day should not be limited to expressions of appreciation, stressing the need for concrete government action on teachers’ pay, welfare and working conditions.

“If the government is truly sincere in recognizing teachers and meaningfully celebrating World Teachers’ Day, Oct. 5 should be declared a special nonworking holiday,” TDC secretary general Jim Lester Beleno said in a statement.

“Let this day give teachers an opportunity to temporarily take a break from their heavy workload, spend time with their families or colleagues, and truly experience the appreciation and gratitude from our students, parents and communities,” he added. INQ