TDC Calls for P15,000 Salary Increase as Teachers Struggle With Rising Costs

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) has renewed its call for a P15,000 across-the-board salary increase for public school teachers and Department of Education personnel, stressing that decent pay and benefits—not more loans—are the real solution to the worsening financial burden faced by educators.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the group acknowledged the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system as a step toward professional growth in the teaching profession. However, TDC said the program remains insufficient, especially given what it described as burdensome requirements for advancement.

The coalition also pointed out that while loan facilities from government and private institutions may provide temporary relief, they often leave teachers trapped in deeper debt. “It is difficult to recover from drowning in debt when the solution being offered is more debt. Teachers need adequate salaries and benefits,” the group said.

According to TDC, teachers usually borrow money not for luxury, but to meet essential needs. Among the main reasons cited by the organization are family health expenses, especially emergency medical needs; the education of children or relatives, as well as teachers’ own postgraduate studies, which are often required for promotion; the dream of owning a home in the absence of a housing program for government employees and teachers; and teaching-related expenses such as laptops, printers, smart TVs for classrooms, and internet connectivity.

The group also highlighted the reality that many teachers spend out of their own pockets for classroom needs and, at times, even for students’ daily allowances and other basic necessities. For TDC, these are responsibilities that should be shouldered by the government rather than individual teachers already struggling with limited income.

Because of this, the coalition is urging the Department of Education to back the #P15KUmento campaign and calling on lawmakers to push for the #P15kAcrossTheBoard measure in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. It also challenged the President to go beyond words of praise for teachers by certifying as urgent the bills that seek to grant the salary increase, particularly Senate Bill 211, also known as the Hontiveros Bill, and House Bill 4500, or the Galang Bill.

For TDC, the issue goes beyond wages and enters the larger question of dignity and social responsibility. The coalition maintains that giving teachers a just and livable salary is a recognition of their indispensable role in shaping the nation’s youth and future.