The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) criticizes the government for focusing on personal austerity measures instead of addressing systemic wage issues in the private school sector. 

“Instead of implementing systemic solutions, the government continues to promote so-called ‘pagtitipid’ or personal austerity measures as the primary response to the crisis, the real solution to teachers' financial struggles will remain unaddressed,” ACT Secretary General Jonathan Geronimo said.

The private arm of ACT called on the government to take immediate action to implement standardized wages for private school teachers, who have long faced financial insecurity due to pay inequities.

According to ACT, the government is merely asking teachers to tighten their belts further, which does not solve the underlying problem of insufficient compensation in private schools.

The group pointed out that private school teachers in Metro Manila earn P17,500 per month, while teachers in provinces earn P10,000. 

Geronimo  emphasized the disparity between private and public school teachers’ pay highlights the need for a systemic change to ensure fair wages for all educators.

“The government must step in by establishing a monitoring and support mechanism that will evaluate and resolve salary and labor issues in private schools,” he said.

Geronimo also noted that the P2,000 monthly provided by the annual Teacher Salary Subsidy is insufficient to meet the needs of private educators and urged the government to raise the subsidy to provide meaningful support.

“Beyond this, there has been little to no meaningful support extended to private school educators.”

“The subsidy must be given directly to teachers to ensure that they receive the support they deserve without unnecessary delays or complications,” he added.