THE Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Davao Region (ACT-Davao) is backing a national campaign to push the Department of Education (DepEd) and lawmakers to address persistent shortages of classrooms and teachers, budget cuts, and mounting pressures on public school educators.
The Davao chapter joined ACT’s lobbying campaign for National Teachers’ Month as teachers, education personnel and students went to the House of Representatives while Congress deliberated on DepEd’s proposed ₱975.6 billion budget for 2027.
Budget cuts raise concerns
ACT-Davao City President Reynaldo Pardillo criticized the proposed spending plan, saying basic education faces a net ₱44.57 billion cut from the previous year’s General Appropriations Act. He also pointed out that the proposal has no funding for hiring new teachers or implementing the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.
“Kaming mga magtutudlo sa Davao Region naghinaut nga kaning 7 ka demands matigayon ug madunggan sa atong mga DepEd officials (We teachers in the Davao Region hope these seven demands will be realized and heard by our DepEd officials),” Pardillo said.
He said teachers remain overworked and underpaid while shouldering classroom expenses from their own pockets and handling growing administrative workloads.
Pardillo questioned why teacher hiring and the ARAL program were placed on DepEd’s unbudgeted “wishlist” instead of being included in the agency’s initial funding proposal.
“Yano ra kaayo ug batakang panginahanglan sa eskwelahan ang pag-hire og mga magtutudlo ug pagtukod og mga classroom, apan mao pa gyud kini ang walay pondo (Hiring teachers and building classrooms are basic and fundamental school needs, yet these are the very things left unfunded),” Pardillo said.
He also warned that relying on late legislative amendments could turn basic school infrastructure into political “pet projects” and create opportunities for patronage politics.
“Imbis nga pondohan dayon sukad pa sa sinugdanan ang mga kinahanglanon sa mga eskwelahan, gipasagdan kini nga mahimong tuburan sa korapsyon (Instead of funding school needs right from the start, they are left to become a source of corruption),” Pardillo said.
Pardillo added that the proposed budget indicates that public education is not a priority under the Marcos administration.
ACT also cited findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM 2, showing the heavy workload carried by public school educators. About 42 percent of teachers work more than 50 hours a week, largely because of nonteaching ancillary duties.
Teachers push for higher pay
In Manila, ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo urged lawmakers to go beyond ceremonial recognition during National Teachers’ Month and address teachers’ economic concerns.
Bernardo said a ₱50,000 entry-level salary is within the government’s fiscal capacity and is a reasonable demand for teachers who have struggled with debt, inflation, and workloads that exceed what their salaries can support.
The ACT delegation presented a legislative agenda that includes a ₱50,000 entry-level salary for public and private school teachers, an increase in the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance to ₱5,000, education funding equivalent to 6 percent of gross domestic product, expanded medical benefits, and structural measures to address the national shortage of 165,000 classrooms and 150,000 teachers.
DepEd clarifies hiring
The push for greater government support comes as the Davao Region observes National Teachers’ Month under the theme “Teacher, Ikaw Naman.” Schools across the region are holding activities and recognition programs for educators.
During the Sept. 11 episode of the Isyu Karon media forum, DepEd-Davao spokesperson Jenielito Atillo said fiscal constraints limit the creation of brand-new positions but clarified that there is no regional hiring freeze.
Atillo said DepEd-Davao continues to recruit to fill vacancies created by retirements and resignations, while also processing promotions under the department’s Expanded Career Progression framework.
ACT-Davao and its national organization are urging the administration to match its public support for teachers with budget priorities that fully fund public education and remove discretionary allocations they say can be vulnerable to political patronage. GRS
