Teachers staged “Black Friday” protests on November 7 to demand accountability for alleged corruption in the education sector and to press for long-overdue salary increases, as their mobilization builds up to a nationwide sit-down strike before the month ends.

Educators across Metro Manila held simultaneous demonstrations calling for higher salaries, increased education funding, and full accountability from President Marcos Jr. over alleged corruption in the Department of Education (DepEd).

Organized by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers–National Capital Region (ACT-NCR), the protests were held in various schools and campuses under the banner “Black Friday for Filipino Educators.”

The teachers wore black and carried placards denouncing low wages, worsening work conditions, and the government’s alleged failure to address systemic corruption in the education sector.

“We are not asking for luxuries — we are demanding what is rightfully ours: a living wage that reflects our crucial role in nation-building,” said ACT-NCR Chairperson Ruby Bernardo.

“Ang kinabukasan ng mga estudyante ang nakataya rito, kaya hindi pwedeng hindi kami magsalita (The future of the students is at stake here, so we cannot remain silent),” she added.

ACT alleged that while the Marcos administration “spends lavishly” on pork barrel funds, teachers are left to “survive on poverty wages.”

The group also claimed that billions of pesos supposedly allocated for classrooms, learning materials, and teachers’ salaries have been lost to corruption and anomalous projects under the current administration.

Bernardo said the Black Friday protests were a “build-up” to a nationwide sit-down strike on November 28, when teachers across the country plan to halt classes to protest what they described as “criminal neglect and plunder” of the education sector.

“Ito ay isa lamang sa mga hakbang tungo sa mas malawak na kilos (This is just one step toward a broader movement),” she said.

On November 28, Bernardo noted, teachers nationwide will stage a sit-down strike to compel the government to address their longstanding demands.

“Sapat na ang mga pangako — kailangan namin ng kongkretong at agarang aksyon mula sa gobyernong ito (Promises are no longer enough — we need concrete and immediate action from this administration),” she stressed.

ACT-NCR directly held President Marcos Jr. accountable, calling him the “principal architect” of corruption within his administration.

“Let us be clear: President Marcos Jr. cannot escape accountability for the massive corruption bleeding our education system dry,” Bernardo said, noting that under his watch, “billions of pesos meant for classrooms, teachers’ salaries, and students’ learning materials have been lost to anomalous deals, ghost projects, and bloated confidential funds.”

“He is not merely a bystander — he is the mastermind who has allowed, if not orchestrated, this systematic plunder of public resources,” she added.

In a protest along Katipunan Avenue, ACT Philippines also joined students and community-based groups in condemning what they called “systemic and massive corruption” under Marcos Jr. They also lit candles for victims of recent calamities, linking the government’s alleged misuse of funds to inadequate disaster response and public services.

The groups demanded a thorough investigation into anomalous flood control projects, justice for affected communities, and an end to what they described as a “bureaucrat-capitalist system that deprives education and social services of essential funds.”

ACT called on teachers, education workers, students, parents, and the public to join the upcoming nationwide strike and subsequent mobilizations.

“This fight is not just for teachers — it’s for every Filipino child deprived of quality education because of corruption and neglect,” Bernardo said. “We will not stop until justice, transparency, and genuine reform prevail in our education system,” she added.