Teachers renew call for P15-K pay hike
Teachers and education advocates under the Civil Society Network for Education Reforms (E-Net) stage a protest in Manila on Sunday, 5 October 2025, calling for an end to rampant government corruption and urging “real reforms in the education system.” The group raised concerns over stagnant salaries and delayed benefits for teachers, while criticizing the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for more than 1,000 incomplete or unusable classrooms, as confirmed by a Department of Education (DepEd) audit. They also demanded the full implementation of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (Republic Act 4670)—including hazard pay, hardship allowance, and medical benefits—and called for an audit and reform of DPWH infrastructure contracts, with the suspension of classroom turnovers until projects are fully compliant.
John Carlo Magallon
A teachers' group on Friday renewed its call for a P15,000 salary increase for public school teachers, following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s approval of a 15-percent base pay hike for military and uniformed personnel.
In a statement, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) said it welcomed the increase for the security sector, emphasizing that teachers are “happy, not envious,” but stressed that compensation for educators and civilian workers has long lagged behind.
TDC chairperson Benjo Basas pointed out that the current salary adjustments under Executive Order No. 64 — totaling only P6,500 for entry-level teachers over four years — are inadequate amid rising living costs.
“Maliit ang umento para sa teacher at lalo pang maliit para sa mas mabababang posisyon sa gobyerno, sa pinakamalaking bilang ng mga empleyado. Kung kayang bigyan ng 15 percent na umento ang mga kapatid sa military and uniformed service, kaya rin ang substansiyal na dagdag-sahod sa mga guro at iba pang kawani,” Basas said.
He reiterated the group’s push for a P15,000 across-the-board salary increase for all public school teachers and DepEd employees — a measure he described as essential to correcting long-standing inequities in government pay.
The TDC also recognized the Senate’s approval of major increases in the 2026 Department of Education budget, calling the expansion of several programs “unprecedented.” However, the group lamented that despite the funding boost, teachers’ pay remains unchanged.
“Tama lamang na itaas ang pondo sa mga programa ng DepEd, pero malinaw na hindi pa rin tinutugunan ang aming panawagan para sa umento sa mga guro. Tumaas ang gugulin sa lahat, maliban sa suweldo ng mga guro,” Basas added.
The group urged the President and lawmakers to show the same political will demonstrated for military and uniformed personnel by finally granting a meaningful salary increase for teachers, noting that the country cannot strengthen its education system while neglecting its frontliners.