Teachers’ group pushes hike in PERA to ₱5,000 amid rising cost of living

MANILA — The ACT-NCR Union renewed its call to increase the Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) of public sector workers to ₱5,000, saying the current amount is no longer enough to cushion the impact of rising living costs on public school teachers.

In a post on its Facebook page, the union said PERA should serve as a supplement to workers’ pay in light of increasing daily expenses. It accompanied the statement with the slogan: “PERA DAGDAGAN, GAWING P5,000!”

The group argued that the present PERA, set at ₱2,000, has become inadequate as teachers continue to face higher costs for food, transportation, utilities, and other basic needs. For public school teachers, whose salaries are often stretched across household expenses and work-related costs, the union said an increase in the allowance would provide immediate relief.

ACT-NCR framed the demand as both an economic and labor issue, stressing that PERA was intended to help government employees cope with the cost of living. According to the union, raising the allowance to ₱5,000 would be a practical step toward easing the financial burden on teachers and other state workers.

The call comes as workers’ groups continue to press for stronger wage and benefit adjustments in response to inflation and the widening gap between fixed salaries and actual household expenses.

For the union, the issue goes beyond a simple benefit increase. It said the proposed hike reflects the need to align compensation policies with present economic realities, especially for frontline public servants such as teachers.

ACT-NCR has been among the organizations campaigning for better pay and benefits for educators, including salary increases and additional support measures. Its latest appeal places PERA at the center of the discussion on how government can respond to the worsening cost-of-living pressures faced by public school teachers.