The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) on Wednesday called on the national government, particularly Congress and the Department of Education (DepEd), to ensure the full implementation of Republic Act 4670, or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, by allocating sufficient funding for its mandates.

"As we have repeatedly emphasized over the years, agencies such as the Department of Education, Department of Budget and Management, and the Government Service Insurance System are duty-bound to implement the Magna Carta in its entirety," TDC national chairperson Benjo Basas said in a statement.

Today, 18 June 2025, marks the 59th anniversary of the enactment of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, a landmark social legislation passed in 1966 to recognize, protect, and uphold the rights and welfare of teachers in the public education sector.

"However, nearly six decades after its passage, many of the law’s key provisions remain unimplemented, under-implemented, or are incorrectly enforced. Instead of serving as a solid foundation for the protection and advancement of our teachers’ welfare, the Magna Carta has become a symbol of neglected promises and persistent government inaction," Basas said.

The law clearly mandates benefits for teachers, including overtime pay, special hardship allowance, and an additional salary grade upon retirement. These remain largely unfulfilled or wrongly implemented. Other provisions, such as paid study leave, tenure-based salary increases, consent for transfer, transportation allowance, compensation for injuries, and free medical care, continue to be ignored.

Notably, the Magna Carta guarantees free and compulsory medical examination, treatment, and hospitalization for teachers, provisions that have not been implemented even during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

From 2021 to 2023, the TDC actively participated in the Magna Carta review led by Senator Win Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, and also took part in the House hearings convened by Representative Roman Romulo as both chambers exercised their oversight functions.

"During these discussions, we presented our detailed recommendations and highlighted decades of failure in the law’s implementation, particularly in provisions that require adequate funding," Basas said.

Basas emphasized that the Magna Carta is not a mere policy suggestion, it is a law.

"It mandates what our teachers are legally entitled to, and the government must act accordingly. While full implementation may not singlehandedly resolve all the challenges in our education sector, it will significantly contribute to uplifting the morale and dignity of public school teachers and improving the overall state of Philippine education," Basas said.