Every payday, Filipino teachers open their payslips with quiet hope and a deep sigh. The numbers look promising at first glance: a teacher 1 salary is set at ₱27,000 but by the time GSIS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and taxes have had their turn, what’s left is barely enough to stretch through the month.
Teachers are among the most overworked and underpaid professionals in the Philippines - and that’s not an exaggeration. While the role demands patience, heart, and a lifetime of learning, the paycheck often doesn’t reflect that devotion.
After all the mandatory deductions, many teachers take home less than ₱23,000. That might sound manageable, but when you factor in family expenses, lesson materials, transportation, and even the occasional school contributions - that salary begins to feel painfully thin.
In neighboring ASEAN countries, teachers are treated not just as educators but as professionals.
- In Singapore, entry-level teachers earn the equivalent of over ₱150,000 a month.
- In Thailand and Malaysia, starting teachers take home around ₱60,000–₱70,000.
- Even Vietnam and Indonesia, with lower costs of living, pay more than the average Filipino teacher when converted to real value.
And in many parts of the world - South Korea, Japan, Finland - teaching is among the most respected and best-compensated professions. Teachers there can buy homes, travel during breaks, and live with dignity.
Here, our teachers are still taking out loans to make it to the next payday.
When educators are forced to live paycheck to paycheck, it’s not just their wallets that suffer - the entire education system feels the impact. Because dignity isn’t a luxury; it’s a condition for excellence. Teachers shouldn’t have to choose between passion and survival.
Teachers shape the nation’s future. They build the thinkers, creators, and leaders of tomorrow. Yet, too often, they do it on a salary that barely sustains their own families today.
Maybe it’s time to stop calling teaching a “noble profession” only during ceremonies. At the end of the day, teachers don’t ask for luxury - just a salary that honors their service. Real respect comes not in words, but in wages.
