Following House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s pledge to increase the daily subsistence allowance of soldiers and all members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from P150 to P350, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines urged the Congress and the Marcos Jr. administration to raise teachers’ Personal Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) from the stagnant P2,000 to P5,000 amid rising cost of living and insignificant salary increase under Executive Order 64 or Salary Standardization Law VI.
House Speaker Romualdez noted that Pres. Marcos Jr. has issued an instruction to allocate P15 billion in the 2025 national budget for the said increase.
“Ang kasalukuyang PERA, na hindi tumaas mula pa noong 2009 at nananatiling nasa P2,000, ay hindi sapat upang makaagapay ang mga guro sa walang ampat na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin. Ayon sa IBON Foundation, kinakailangan ng P1,206 kada araw para matugunan mabuhay ang isang pamilyang may limang miyembro o lalampas sa P36,000 kada buwan. Malinaw na napakalayo ng kasalukuyang sweldo at suporta na ating natatanggap mula sa totoo nating pangangailangan,” explained Vladimer Quetua, ACT Chairperson.
“Napakahalaga ng pagtaas ng PERA sa P5,000 para sa mga guro. Konkretong hakbang ito para maibsan ang kanilang dinaranas na hirap sa gitna ng patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin. Dapat itong itaas nang regular batay sa inflation rate upang masiguro ang kanilang kakayahang makasabay sa pagtaas ng presyo. Kung ang daily allowance nga ng mga pulis at sundalo ay kayang itaas mula P150 patungong P350 na halos P10,500 kada buwan, nararapat ding itaas ang economic relief allowance ng mga guro at kawani,” Quetua added.
“Bukod dito, barya, barat, at mumo ang umentong bigay ng E.O. 64 ng pangulo na malayo sa panawagan naming disente at nakabubuhay na sahod. Pinapakita lamang na administrasyon na hindi pantay ang pagkilala at pagpapahalaga nito sa mga guro at kawaning gobyerno kumpara sa pulis at kasundaluhan. Matagal nang napag-iwanan ang aming sahod samantalang patuloy na bumibigat ang aming trabaho,” lamented Quetua.
ACT emphasized that addressing the economic needs of teachers and education workers is crucial to resolving the learning crisis and uplifting the quality of education, as they are the backbone of education delivery.
Teachers reiterated their call for sufficient funding for teachers’ benefits including P5K personal economic relief allowance, teaching overload pay, special hardship allowance, sick leave, and other more, as the Congress deliberates the 2025 national budget. These demands are part of their broader call for higher education budget, better working conditions, improved economic welfare, nationalist, scientific, and mass-oriented education, and end to state attacks on teachers and schools, in observance of the National Teachers’ Month and celebration of World Teachers’ Day on October 5.#
