At least 900,000 public school teachers under the Department of Education (DepEd) will receive their World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefit (WTDIB) of P1,000 each on October 5, a member of the House appropriations committee said.
“In the 2023 General Appropriations Law, Congress earmarked the amount of P900 million to pay for the WTDIB in the amount of P1,000 per teacher on October 5,” Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo disclosed.
He emphasized Congress’s unwavering commitment to ensuring annual appropriations for the incentive.
Rillo noted that in the recently approved 2024 national budget, an additional P912 million has been earmarked for the WTDIB in the following year, underscoring their dedication to supporting teachers.
“In fact, in the 2024 national budget that the House approved last week, we’ve set aside another P912 million to pay for the WTDIB of our teachers next year,” Rillo said.
This incentive was introduced four years ago through the General Appropriations Law of 2019, with an initial funding of P800 million.
It acknowledges the vital role of teachers in shaping the future of children and adolescents, aligning with the international celebration of World Teachers’ Day on October 5, as designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).
Moreover, Republic Act No. 10743 designates October 5 as National Teachers’ Day in the Philippines, honoring the teaching profession.
Meanwhile, Rillo pressed for the passage of House Bill No. 203, which seeks to increase by 36 percent the starting pay of public school teachers.
Under the bill that Rillo co-authored, the entry-level monthly pay of public school teachers would be bumped up to P36,619 (Salary Grade 15).
At present, the starting monthly pay of DepEd teachers is pegged at P27,000 (Salary Grade 11).
HB 203 also seeks to fix at P16,000 the minimum monthly pay of all non-teaching personnel employed by DepEd.
