10/03/2026
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines warned that the public, especially teachers and ordinary workers, will face a deeper economic squeeze following Energy Secretary Sharon Garin’s admission that electricity rates may rise by 16 percent next month due to the ongoing global oil crisis.
For ACT, the looming rate hikes underscore the urgent need for immediate relief measures such as a higher Personnel Economic Relief Allowance of 5,000 pesos and, more importantly, a substantial entry-level salary of at least 50,000 pesos for teachers.
ACT stressed that many public school teachers take home barely anything from their roughly PHP 28,000 monthly salary after mandatory deductions. Most teachers actually take home only around PHP 5,000 from the loans they are forced to incur just to survive on meager pay. This leaves thousands of educators with little to almost no take-home pay and dangerously exposed to the relentless rise in the cost of living.
“Teachers and ordinary workers are already tightening their belts just to make ends meet,” said ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo. “Hindi rin naman makakatipid ang mamamayan kung bawat buwan ay tataas ang lahat ng gastusin. Sa halip, pinaghihigpitan ang sinturon para pigain ang kapos na sweldo.”
The teachers’ group noted that fixed wages combined with skyrocketing utility, transportation, and basic commodity costs mean that any additional oil or electricity price hike hits workers’ pockets directly.
"Since 2009 pa nakapako sa 2,000 pesos ang PERA; ang current entry-level salary naman ay malinaw na hindi sapat. Every increase in fuel and electricity immediately cuts into our meager salaries. Kung ang sahod ng g**o ay hindi tumataas kahit pa patuloy ang inflation, tuluy-tuloy ang pagbaba ng tunay na halaga ng aming kinikita,” Bernardo said.
ACT reiterated its call to scrap the Oil Deregulation Law, which has left the government powerless to protect the public from abusive energy pricing.
“Tama na ang mga palusot. Ibasura ang Oil Deregulation Law,” Bernardo said. “Dapat ibalik sa estado ang kapangyarihang regulahin ang langis at kuryente, at tiyakin ang tunay na proteksyon ng mamamayan laban sa walang habas na pagtaas ng presyo.”
The group stressed that regulatory reforms must be paired with structural solutions for workers’ welfare.
“Ang pag-upgrade sa PERA at pagbigay ng 50k entry level na sahod ay hindi luho, ito ay kagyat na pangangailangan. Hindi puwede na habang lumalaki ang gastos, nananatiling nakapako ang sahod sa salary schedule ng gobyerno,” Bernardo said.
ACT called on teachers, workers, and the public to unite in mass actions to demand immediate government accountability, repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, and the implementation of concrete measures to cushion the economic blow.
“Kung hindi kikilos ang pamahalaan, ang mamamayan mismo ang kikilos. Ipinapanawagan namin sa mga g**o, manggagawa, at mamamayan na magkaisa at ipaglaban ang aming kabuhayan laban sa patuloy na pagpapahirap ng sistema,” Bernardo concluded. #
Press Release | 10 March 2026
Teachers, educ workers press for PERA, salary hike vs soaring prices and utilities
