Teachers question proposed ₱77.86-B budget amendments as pay demands linger

MANILA (October 7) — Teachers are questioning why billions of pesos can be proposed for new government programs while their long-standing demands for higher salaries and benefits remain unresolved.

ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio criticized ₱77.86 billion in proposed “pork-type amendments” to the 2027 national budget, saying the funds could instead support higher compensation for teachers and other government employees.

The amount is not yet final. The House Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARSc) is still reviewing proposed additions to the House version of the ₱7.2-trillion 2027 budget. The measure must still pass the House and Senate, undergo bicameral reconciliation and secure presidential approval before becoming law. (congress.gov.ph)

Tinio questioned why billions could be added to discretionary programs while a proposed ₱500 increase in the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) for teachers and other government employees remains unfunded.

“The government has so much funds for pork barrel, but it claims that it cannot fund the PERA for teachers and officials of the government?”

Billions for assistance programs

Among the proposed additions cited by Tinio are:

• ₱24.97 billion for the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients;
• ₱25.81 billion for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations; and
• ₱10 billion for the Department of Agriculture’s Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk.

Tinio criticized the BARSc’s approval of the proposed amendments, arguing that the process lacked sufficient disclosure of the specific locations, proponents and intended beneficiaries of the allocations.

He also questioned proposed “infrastructure lump sums” and cash assistance programs, saying these could be vulnerable to political patronage.

The House has said the BARSc is conducting line-by-line reviews of proposed amendments arising from agency requests and recommendations raised during plenary deliberations, with the amendments and proceedings being made public. (congress.gov.ph)

Teachers demand more than praise

Tinio’s criticism came as the country marked World Teachers Day, when educators renewed calls for better pay, benefits and working conditions.

He said teachers deserve more than public recognition while their compensation concerns remain unresolved.

“They feast on pork while our teachers starve for dignity and a decent living,” Tinio said.

He also criticized what he described as the government’s willingness to find funds for discretionary spending while claiming there is insufficient funding for teacher benefits.

“This is not a matter of scarcity, it is a matter of twisted, anti-people priorities,” he said.

Tinio renewed his call for the administration and Congress to prioritize salary increases and benefits for teachers and other public servants.

“The best tribute to our teachers is not empty rhetoric, but concrete action.”

The proposed amendments remain subject to the rest of the budget process. For teachers, the fight now is over what Congress ultimately chooses to put into the 2027 spending plan.