Amidst President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s boasting yesterday during his SONA about the continuous implementation of salary increases under Executive Order No. 64—which is now in its third tranche for this year 2026 for government workers including public school teachers—the president still gave no clear statement on whether he favors the additional wage hike requested by teachers.
Consequently, teacher groups like the Alliance of Concerned Teachers continue to call for a larger and more substantial salary hike, or the proposed 50,000-peso entry-level salary, especially during these times of soaring living costs and education crisis.
According to Roland S. Cruz from ACT Northern Mindanao, teachers continue to clamor for higher pay to survive and live with proper dignity.
He explained that public school teachers have been somewhat left behind, continuing to suffer from inadequate pay amidst the daily hardships they face.
