Bill pushes P50K starting pay for teachers

A bill seeking to increase the minimum salary of educators in higher education in both state and local universities and colleges was filed at the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

House Bill 8965 seeks to establish a P50,000 monthly salary for teachers, in line with the constitutional mandate of prioritizing and making quality education accessible to all citizens.

“This bill seeks to address the substantial salary gaps between instructors and professors in [state universities and colleges] and [local universities and colleges] on one hand and persons in comparable occupations or with similar qualifications here and abroad on the other,” the proposal read in part.

It further noted that the proposed measure aims to provide teachers with a “decent and dignified” standard of living amid the financial strain they absorb in their daily service to students.

The measure comes amid a wider public clamor for a substantial salary increase in the private sector to a national minimum wage of P1,200 per day.

As it currently stands, the entry-level salary for public teachers is set at P30,000 under Salary Grade 11, which was promulgated in 2024.

Members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers, who were present during the filing of the bill together with ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, had previously called on Education Secretary Sonny Angara to explore the proposed salary increase.

Ruby Bernardo, chairperson of ACT, noted that teachers were unfairly compensated for the work they perform daily, citing their strenuous workloads and responsibilities as crucial building blocks for the nation.

“Our compensation remains far from commensurate with our contribution, while salary distortion within the bureaucracy persists to our disadvantage,” Bernardo said.