Makabayan reps want entry-level pay for teachers raised to P50,000

TESTING ‘MATATAG’ A teacher at Tinajeros National High School in Malabon City starts her Filipino subject lecture on Monday as the Department of Education begins to test the revised Kindergarten to Grade 10 (K-10) curriculum, called “Matatag” (Filipino for sturdy or stable), in select schools around the country (September 25, 2023) —LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — Makabayan bloc lawmakers have filed a bill that seeks to increase the entry-level salary of teachers to P50,000.

House Deputy Minority leader and Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro led the Makabayan bloc in filing House Bill (HB) 9920 on Tuesday, seeking to raise the present minimum monthly salary of public school teachers from P27,000 to P50,000 — which is equivalent to salary grade 15 under the Salary Standardization Law.

As stated in the bill’s explanatory note, most teachers have no choice but to seek opportunities abroad since the P27,000 entry-level salary per month is insufficient to overcome financial woes brought on by the increasing prices of fuel and basic commodities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Teachers are given increases of a little over P6,000 spread across four years, or about P1,500 annually,” the lawmakers said in the bill.

“These measly increases are quickly eaten away by inflation and excise taxes, especially those brought by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law […] The disparity between the salary and the family living wage continues to widen, as inflation steadily rises without corresponding timely increases in salaries,” they added.

If approved, the proposed measure also seeks to increase the salary of education support personnel and adjust them annually to help them adapt to the current cost of living, which is P1,119 per day or P33,570 per month — or the ideal amount for a family of five.

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Since October last year, ACT has called for a P50,000 salary increase for entry-level teachers.

The teachers also appealed for free medical checkups and treatment, an increase in instructional allowance, compensation for teaching overload, and the government to address the shortages in facilities and resources, among others.