DepEd urged to push P50,000 entry-level pay for teachers
ACT Philippines calls on DepEd to prioritize meaningful salary increases amid the country's education crisis
Published Feb 6, 2026 03:37 pm
ACT Philippines urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to prioritize a P50,000 entry-level salary, highlighting that fair teacher pay is key to addressing the country’s education crisis. (Manila Bulletin / file)
The Department of Education (DepEd) faces renewed calls from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines to champion a P50,000 entry-level salary for public school teachers, following its recent engagement with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on educators’ financial concerns.
In a statement issued Friday, February 6, ACT Philippines urged DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara to actively advance teachers’ long-standing demand for a P50,000 entry-level pay.
While ACT earlier welcomed DepEd’s move to relay requests for more flexible and longer-term loan arrangements for teachers and education workers—describing it as a positive step in addressing immediate financial challenges—the group emphasized that sustainable welfare for educators requires substantial salary increases, not just temporary financial relief.
“This recognition is crucial and correct,” said ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo. “When teachers are financially secure, the quality of public education improves. This is especially urgent now, as the education crisis has reached critical levels.”
ACT called on DepEd and Angara to translate this understanding into decisive policy advocacy, urging them to convey to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other key government officials the urgency of funding and implementing substantial pay hikes for teachers.
Support for teachers’ pay hike
Bernardo highlighted that Angara has previously expressed support for a P50,000 entry-level salary in dialogues with ACT.
“These engagements show convergence in recognizing that teachers’ low pay lies at the heart of their financial difficulties,” ACT said.
The group also recalled that during his two consecutive terms as senator, Angara had filed measures to increase public school teachers’ salaries by raising the minimum salary grade from 11 to 19.
ACT noted that the rationale behind these proposals remains urgent today, with public school teachers still among the lowest-paid workers in the country despite increasing workloads and responsibilities.
“Teachers continue to be among the most underpaid workers in the country despite their expanding workload, mounting responsibilities, and central role in nation-building,” Bernardo said.
“Our compensation remains far from commensurate with our contribution, while salary distortion within the bureaucracy persists to our disadvantage,” she added, citing the explanatory note in Angara’s proposed bill when he was a legislator.
Need for higher salaries for teachers
Meanwhile, the group criticized the omission of salary increases in both EDCOM II’s Final Report and previous recommendations by EDCOM I, calling it a “failure to prioritize educators’ welfare.”
ACT stressed that substantial teacher pay hikes are financially feasible, citing government allocations of nearly P1 trillion for flood control projects between 2023 and 2025 as evidence of fiscal capacity.
Bernardo added: “This is a matter of priorities—valuing educators and the public workforce over corrupt political dynasties, entitled legislators, favored contractors, and bureaucrat capitalists.”
ACT reiterated its demands not only for a P50,000 entry-level salary for teachers but also for a P36,000 minimum for Salary Grade 1 government employees, Salary Grade 16 for Instructor I positions, and standardized salaries for private school teachers to match public sector pay.
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