Teachers’ P50,000 Starting Pay Pushed as Wage Hikes Top Public Concern

Calls to raise the starting salary of public school teachers to P50,000 have gained momentum following an OCTAResearch survey showing that wage increases are now the top concern of Filipinos, House Deputy Minority Leader Antonio Tinio said.

The Tugon ng Masa survey conducted in the fourth quarter of 2025 found that 45 percent of adult Filipinos cited higher wages as their primary national concern, surpassing inflation control at 41 percent.

Tinio said the results show that workers’ incomes have failed to keep pace with rising living costs despite easing inflation. “The real solution is to raise wages, not to wait for prices to fall,” he said.

He noted that public school teachers are among the most affected by stagnant pay, with many forced to take on side jobs or incur debt to meet basic needs.

House Bill 203, filed by the Makabayan bloc, seeks to raise the entry-level salary of public school teachers from about P29,000 to P50,000, citing the rising cost of food, housing, transportation, and other essentials.

Tinio also renewed calls for a nationwide wage increase covering both public and private sector workers.