Lawmaker Pushes for Php40k Salary for Public School Teachers

As of press time, an entry-level public school teacher (Teacher 1) having Salary Grade 11 receives a basic salary of Php20,179 per month under Tranche 3 of the SSL. A lawmaker seeks to double this figure to Php42,099, similar to what the president had done when he doubled the salary of the country’s uniformed personnel!

A Teacher 1 with Salary Grade 11 enjoys bonuses and allowances of around Php74,000 a year. Using this figure, the monthly compensation package of teachers (Teacher 1) amounts to Php26,375.

While a number of workers might say that the figure might be ‘big’ and could easily feed the teacher’s family, teachers will tell you this is not true. A lot of public school teachers are struggling with financial matters, especially because a number of them even have to give their students school supplies as the kids are too poor to buy their own stuff.

Moreover, teachers are actually working a lot of overtime hours without pay as they prepare for the next days’ lessons, make test papers, check test papers and projects, and make grades, among others. They certainly need to have a much higher salary than what they are receiving right now.

Senator Sonny Angara filed Senate Bill 135 which aims to double the monthly salaries of public school teachers from Php20,179 to Php42,099, effectively increasing it from Salary Grade 11 to Salary Grade 19.

The senator believes that doubling the teachers’ salary would greatly improve the overall quality of education in the country because this would bring better quality of teaching.

Angara reasoned out that teachers have families to support, too; thus, many have to find other ways to increase their income. If this bill becomes a law, the doubled salary would be enough for the teachers to support their families; thus, they would no longer look outside the classroom for other jobs.

As public servants, Angara believes that teachers should also be given ‘reasonable compensation’.

If approved, this measure is similar to the increase enjoyed by the country’s uniformed personnel (cops, soldiers, navy, jail officers, etc.) beginning last year, in January 2018.

11 Comments

  1. Dapat mauna ang increase ng mga empleyado ng mga taga DENR na nasa protection unit kasi nakataya ang buhay nila sa pangangalaga ng ating kagubatan. Compare to teachers.

    • My gosh…as if I didnt know the work of national government employee…like yours..iba ang work ng teacher…kaya dont say that…compare sa teacher….sabihan no nyan yung hindi alam ang nture of work nyo…
      Kung highly educated na dito ang mga tao..they will use the resources wisely…

  2. What makes Dr. Jose Rizal our national hero? For those who can answer this question, that’s the reason why teachers salary need to be increased

  3. I am 100% agreed with this article and with Sen. Angara.
    We are also human being with our own families to feed and support.

  4. seriously? grabe as in DENR compared to Teachers? wag na tayong magkumparahan. sabihin niyo na lang kailangan niyo din ng increase. hindi niyo lang alam kung anong klaseng buhay ang itinataya ng mga teachers magkaroon lng tayo ng maraming responsible citizens and professionals. yes to salary increase, yes to sen. angara!

  5. I agree with the law, it breaks my heart to witness some teachers who cannot send their children to better universities because of financial constrain, even if their children are willing to apply for summer job or as a working student, having parents who are teachers hinders them with those oppurtunities because they need to submit certificate of indigency.

  6. Yes so true… Thanks to Senator Angara sana maaprubahan na .. I am a public school teacher and I also have sideline outside school.. Kasi kung aasa lang ako sa sahod hindi kakayanin.. Once a month lang sahod.. Naiipon na ung mga gastos namin .. Mahirap mag budget lalo pa’t marami kaming gastos sa skul . Mga Manila paper. Cartolina. Etc. Kami nagpapaganda ng room namin.. Pag may student pa kming walang baon or walang pamasahe binbgyan pa namin.. Di naman kasi pwedeng hindi kasi baka nd pumasok.. Pag hindi pumasok sasabhin teacher factor. . Binibisita pa namin ung mga bata sa bahay nla pag pala absent.. Wala namang budget na bnbgay samen para sa pamasahe papunta sa nga bahay bahay.. Minsan kmi rin bumibili ng kurtina at electric fan sa mga classroom namin.. Pag uwi namin sa bahay d pa km agad matutulog kasi kailangang magready ng lesson para kinabukasan. Maaga gigising late matutulog.. Siguro naman po deserve namin ng mataas n sweldo. Delikado rin po ang work namin dahil kumabg sa tulog .. Maghapong nakatayo at minsan d na tama ang kaen dahil mas uunahin namin kapakanan ng mga bata kesa sa sarili namin.. Nasa mga kamay namin nakasalalay ang kinabukasan ng mga bata.. Ng mga future leaders.. Ng mga future professionals.. Kung walang guro kanino matuto ang mga bata. Lahat nagdaan sa mga guro.. Kaya sana wala pong magsasabi na di namin deserve un dahil di nyo alam ang hirap naming mga guro.. ❤

  7. Napakarami din pong mga teachers ang naassign sa mga delikadong lugar,yung iba nga ilang ilog o bundok pa ang tinatawid makarating lang s skwelahang pinagtuturuan nila.sarili nilang pamilya tuwing sabado at linggo lang nila nakikita,tinitiis nila ito,masakit mn s kanila ok lng kinakaya nila pra sa kapakanan ng mga bata s bundok.gustuhin mn nilang umalis doon pero hindi pwede kasi kawawa yung mga bata na umaasang makakatapos ng pag-aaral.ang mga teacher pa ang nagbibigay ng baon at nagpapakain s mga studyante kpag wala silang baon hwag lng silang umabsent..ganyan ang buhay ng mga trachers

  8. Thanks to Senator Angara. I hope and pray this will turn into reality. Teaching profession is the mother of all professions. Without teachers there will never be doctors, lawyers, accountants, architects and all the other professions. Teachers are heroes therefore they deserve to be fairly compensated.

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