Nine out of 10 public school teachers are earning below the family living wage, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines said as it brought a formal petition to Malacañang on Thursday demanding a P50,000 starting salary for educators across all school types.
The group’s chairperson, Ruby Bernardo, said conditions are even worse for teachers in private institutions, where compensation structures are described as low and fragmented. The petition also calls for a P36,000 basic pay for Salary Grade 1 government employees and a P1,200 national minimum wage.
“In local universities and colleges, salaries depend on the income class of local government units. In private schools, wages are suppressed by the lack of a standard livable salary and state support. In state universities and colleges, entry-level pay remains far below what is needed for a decent life,” Bernardo said.
Bernardo linked the wage crisis to broader economic pressures, saying teachers and education workers are absorbing the effects of global conflicts and rising oil prices that have deepened financial hardship across the sector.
“The system continues to function not because it is adequately funded, but because teachers are forced to keep it running despite the neglect of its very own workforce through chronically low wages and salaries, dire working conditions and a lack of genuine support,” she said.
The petition covers public and private school teachers, personnel at local universities and colleges, and employees of state universities and colleges, where Bernardo said entry-level salaries remain insufficient for basic living standards.
