Two major teachers’ groups on Wednesday, August 13, criticized Senator Raffy Tulfo for his recent remarks against Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), urging him instead to direct his “gigil” toward addressing the government’s chronic underfunding of public schools.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers–National Capital Region Union (ACT-NCR) welcomed Tulfo’s acknowledgment of the burden placed on parents and teachers due to school collections, but said his anger was misdirected.

“Senator Tulfo's statement that he is ‘gigil na gigil’ with PTAs completely misses the point,” said ACT-NCR Union President Ruby Bernardo. “The real issue is not the PTAs themselves, but the government's systematic failure to provide adequate funding for our public schools, forcing parents and teachers into these desperate measures,” she added.

Bernardo stressed that blaming parents and teachers for voluntary contributions ignores the root problem: insufficient education budgets.

“While we appreciate his call to prohibit collections from parents, where is his corresponding demand for a massive increase in the education budget? Saying ‘no collections’ without ensuring adequate government funding is merely populist rhetoric that will leave our schools in worse condition,” Bernardo said.

She also challenged Tulfo to push for doubling the education budget in the upcoming 2026 deliberations and to support UNESCO’s recommendation to allocate at least six percent of the Gross Domestic Product to education.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), in a separate statement, also defended PTAs—clarifying that school projects discussed during meetings are voluntary initiatives from parents, not demands from teachers.

“Maraming pinag-uusapan sa PTA meeting at isa lamang dito ang mga proyektong isinusulong ng mga magulang batay sa kanilang nakikitang pangangailangan ng paaralan at sa kanilang kagustuhang makatulong (Many topics are discussed in PTA meetings, and only one of these is the projects parents propose based on the school’s needs and their willingness to help),” said TDC national chairperson Benjo Basas.

“Hindi ito hinihingi ng mga guro at lalong hindi sapilitan. Sa katunayan, sa polisiya ng DepEd, kahit pa magkasundo ang mga magulang sa isang proyekto, mananatili itong boluntaryo (These are neither requested by teachers nor mandatory. In fact, under DepEd policy, even if parents agree on a project, it remains voluntary),” he added.

Basas emphasized that the shortage in Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) forces schools to rely on community support. Without enough funds for utilities, repairs, and basic supplies, he said PTAs often step in to fill the gaps.

“Ang tunay na dahilan ng problema ay ang napakaliit na pondong inilalaan ng gobyerno para sa maintenance at operation ng mga paaralan (The real root of the problem is the very limited funding allocated by the government for the maintenance and operation of schools),” he said.

TDC pointed out that if schools were fully funded for electricity, water, internet, security, and repairs, there would be no need for PTAs to collect contributions for fans, paint, or cleaning supplies.

Both groups urged Tulfo to lead Senate efforts to substantially increase education funding rather than vilifying PTAs and the stakeholders trying to keep schools running.

TDC added that it is open to a dialogue with Tulfo and will send him a formal letter to discuss the matter.