THE Philippines is entering a landmark year for education in 2026 as the national budget for the sector reaches a record P1.38 trillion, prompting Senator Bam Aquino to push for measures ensuring that teachers directly benefit from the historic allocation.
Aquino, chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, is renewing calls for the passage of the Angat Sweldo Para sa Guro Act, which seeks to grant a P10,000 monthly salary increase to public school teachers and qualified non-teaching personnel, to be implemented gradually over three years.
The 2026 education budget accounts for 4.5 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, meeting for the first time the international benchmark set by the United Nations.
The allocation includes P68 billion for classroom construction, P67 billion for free college education, and P25.6 billion for school feeding programs.
While Aquino welcomed the unprecedented funding, he stressed that infrastructure and programs alone would not solve the country’s education problems if teachers remain overworked and undercompensated.
“Teachers are overworked, underpaid, and they lack adequate support,” Aquino said.
He noted that two out of three teachers report spending time on more than 50 non-teaching tasks, adding that students cannot be expected to excel if educators are weighed down by administrative duties and financial pressure.
Aquino also raised concern over P43.24 billion originally intended for salary upgrades that was placed under unprogrammed appropriations, meaning the funds will only be released if the government generates excess revenue.
He warned that treating teacher compensation as conditional funding undermines the intent of the education budget.
Aquino called for transparency and vigilance, urging the executive branch to guarantee that the funds promised to teachers are released as planned.
“To address the lack of support for teachers, I filed the Angat Sweldo Para sa Guro Act, which seeks to grant a P10,000 monthly compensation increase to all public school teachers and qualified non-teaching personnel over the next three years,” Aquino said.
He added that the Senate will work closely with the Department of Education to reduce the administrative burden on teachers.
The proposed salary hike is the centerpiece of Aquino’s seven-point education agenda, which also includes the Teacher in Every Barrio Act to provide incentives for educators in remote areas; the E-Textbook Para sa Lahat bill to ensure free digital access to learning materials; and the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program, which aims to address the country’s 165,000-classroom backlog through partnerships with the private sector.
By prioritizing higher pay and better support for teachers in 2026, Aquino said the government can help reduce burnout, improve education outcomes, and restore dignity to the teaching profession, making it attractive once again to the country’s best and brightest. (ABC)