Aquino administration hired 175,000 teachers

MANILA, Philippines – The Aquino administration has hired a total of 175,000 public school teachers over its six-year term, or an average of almost 30,000 a year, Education Secretary Armin Luistro reported yesterday.

He said private school teachers have been migrating to the public education system because of improved compensation.

“Our entry-level monthly salary for teacher 1 position is about P19,000, while the pay for a master teacher holder is more than P43,000. Our salaries in public schools are not bad,” he said.

Those amounts represent basic salary. Additionally, teachers, like other government workers, receive allowances, including hazard pay for those assigned in remote areas.

Newly hired teaching personnel hold salary grade 11, ranging from P19,077 to P20,585.

If a master teacher receives more than P43,000 a month as Luistro said, he must be holding salary grade 22, which pays P43,439 to P47,329 a month.

These are the adjusted rates contained in Executive Order 201, which President Aquino issued last Feb. 19 to increase government salaries.

The plan is to upgrade salaries over four years up to 2019.

If the incoming Duterte administration continues with what Aquino has started, the lowest-paid teacher would be getting P20,754 to P22,829 by 2019.

A salary grade 22 holder would be receiving between P65,319 and P73,157.