Public School Teachers Seek Immediate Action on Unpaid Bonuses

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) has pressed the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to address the exclusion of the Department of Education (DepEd) from the Performance-Based Bonus (PBB) for fiscal year 2023, emphasizing that public school teachers should not be penalized for shortcomings beyond their control.

In a recent dialogue with DBM officials, TDC national chairperson Benjo Basas stressed that teachers have continued to deliver on their responsibilities despite numerous challenges.

“Kung anuman ang pagkukulang ng DepEd bilang ahensiya, natitiyak naming wala kaming kinalaman doon. Gumampan kami sa aming mga tungkulin sa kabila ng napakaraming limitasyon at pagsubok, kaya marapat lamang na kilalalnin ito ng gobyerno,” Basas said.

DBM Assistant Secretary Bodie Pulido explained that DepEd was declared ineligible for the 2023 PBB due to low ratings in certain performance indicators. However, he confirmed that the department has already filed for a review and reconsideration, which is currently under evaluation along with appeals from other agencies.

The TDC reiterated its long-standing opposition to the current implementation of the PBB, labeling it as “flawed, burdensome, and demoralizing”—particularly for classroom teachers.

“Once again, our teachers suffer because of a system that evaluates agency-wide performance based on rigid and often unrealistic criteria. Teachers have fulfilled their duties, even exceeding expectations. Yet they are denied what is justly due to them,” Basas lamented.

According to the group, most classroom teachers still achieve very satisfactory individual performance ratings under the Results-Based Performance Management System (RPMS), despite the system itself being “difficult and burdensome.”

Basas argued that the PBB has, in practice, become “more of a punishment than an incentive.”

“We have repeatedly said tying the bonus to a performance system as flawed and inconsistent as the RPMS does more harm than good. It creates division, adds to the administrative burden, and ultimately demoralizes the very people it claims to reward,” he said.

The TDC called on the DBM to expedite DepEd’s appeal for reconsideration and pushed for broader reforms to ensure the performance-based incentive system truly serves its intended purpose.

“Bonuses are part of what is rightfully due to teachers who continue to work under challenging conditions. We hope this dialogue will lead not only to the release of the PBB 2023 but also to much-needed changes in policy,” Basas added.

As deliberations continue, thousands of teachers across the country await a decision that could impact both their financial welfare and morale.