P5,000 cash allowance for teachers 'nothing new' --- groups
The Department of Education (DepEd) was urged to clarify that the P5,000 cash allowance usually received by classroom teachers is not an additional monetary aid but a benefit given to them on school opening.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), in a statement issued Saturday, Aug. 20, clarified that the Cash Allowance declared by the DepEd to be given by next week is not an “ayuda or a special monetary aid for this school year, but rather is part of the regular benefits received by teachers.”
TDC National Chairperson Benjo Basas said that the Cash Allowance, previously called “Chalk Allowance” was a “meager incentive” given to classroom teachers to help them prepare for school opening.
The then “chalk allowance” was increased several times until it reached the amount of P3,500 in the year 2020 --- the same year when it was called “Cash Allowance.”
Basas explained that the “Cash Allowance” was called such because it was no longer intended for the purchase of chalk but also other teaching materials.
“And since last year, the allowance has also covered internet and communication expenses and even the supposed free annual medical examination of teachers,” he added.
In a separate statement issued Aug. 19, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines called out DepEd for the “delay” in the release of the P5,000 Cash Allowance for School Year (SY) 2022-2023.
ACT Chairperson Philippines Vladimer Quetua said that due to the delay in the release of the said allowance, the teachers have been using their own money to buy the things they need for in-classroom teaching.
Meanwhile, the group said that the P5,000 cash allowance is not enough to cover the costs needed for materials to be used by teachers for the whole year.
Currently, Quetua said that the P5,000 cash allowance is only equivalent to P25 per day.
Aside from chalk and class records, he noted that teachers are also forced to take loans to buy a laptop, printer, or projector needed for teaching.
Given this, ACT is calling on the government --- through DepEd --- to increase the Cash Allowance to P10,000 per classroom teacher.
RELATED STORY:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/06/deped-orders-processing-release-of-p5k-teachers-cash-allowance-for-sy-2022-2023/