Senate bills push higher, inflation-adjusted allowances for public school personnel

Two Senate measures have been filed seeking to standardize and protect the allowances of teachers and non-teaching personnel in the public education system, with provisions to keep benefits aligned with inflation and shield them from budget cuts.

Sen. Joel Villanueva said Senate Bill Nos. 1605 and 1606 aim to provide stronger financial support for educators and school staff, particularly as rising fuel and living costs continue to strain household budgets.

According to Villanueva, the proposed allowances are more than just monetary aid. He said they reflect the State’s constitutional duty to prioritize education by not only investing in facilities and access, but also supporting the people who make learning possible.

He noted that the bills include a mechanism for adjusting benefits every three years to account for inflation, ensuring that the value of the allowances does not erode over time.

Under Senate Bill No. 1606, all teaching and non-teaching personnel in the public basic education system, including those under the Alternative Learning System, would receive a combined quarterly benefit of ₱5,000, or ₱20,000 annually. The package consists of ₱3,000 for grocery and transportation expenses and ₱2,000 for medical needs every quarter.

Villanueva acknowledged the Department of Education’s existing quarterly medical allowance under DepEd Department Order No. 16, s. 2025, but stressed that legislating the benefit would provide stronger protection against possible cuts during periods of fiscal constraint.

He also credited Education Secretary Sonny Angara and the Department of Education for pushing reforms and advocating for greater support for basic education personnel, saying the proposed measure would reinforce and expand those efforts.

Meanwhile, Senate Bill No. 1605 proposes the same quarterly benefit of ₱5,000, or ₱20,000 per year, for all teaching personnel in state universities and colleges, as well as state-run technical-vocational institutions.

Both bills also provide that the additional allowances will be exempt from taxation, unless the amounts go beyond the threshold set under the National Internal Revenue Code.

Villanueva said the measures are intended as a show of solidarity with educators and school personnel, emphasizing that while many laws focus on students, these proposals recognize the workers who sustain the delivery of education.