Group slams P55-B cut from teachers’ benefit fund

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines on Wednesday criticized the Senate for cutting P55 billion from the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) in the proposed 2026 national budget.

In a statement, ACT said the proposed reduction would deprive public school teachers, state university and college (SUC) faculty, and rank-and-file government workers of long-overdue benefits.

These supposedly include salary adjustments, Performance-Based Bonus (PBB), funding for vacant plantilla positions, and staffing upgrades.

“Ang P55 bilyong kinaltas sa benepisyo ng guro at kawani ay sapat na para itaas ang Personal Economic Relief Allowance (PERA), magbigay ng plantilla items sa DepEd at SUCs, at i-regularize ang libu-libong kontraktwal. Sa halip, ibinuhos ito sa LGU pork,” said ACT Chairperson Ruby Ana Bernardo.

(The P55 billion cut from teachers’ and workers’ benefits is enough to increase the Personal Economic Relief Allowance (PERA), provide plantilla items in DepEd and SUCs, and regularize thousands of contractual workers. Instead, it was poured into LGU pork.)

Bernardo said the funds slashed from the education budget were instead diverted to expanded Local Government Unit (LGU) discretionary allocations, which, she warned, could fuel political patronage.

She said the move harms workers already facing rising prices, delayed benefits, and stagnant wages.

“Ito ay malinaw na pagnanakaw sa kabuhayan ng manggagawa para pondohan ang makinarya ng pulitika,” she added.

(This is a clear theft of workers’ livelihoods to fund the machinery of politics.)

‘Wrong priorities’

ACT said the MPBF cut comes amid chronic understaffing in schools and public offices, leaving teachers with heavy workloads and many SUC faculty still under job-order or contract-of-service arrangements without job security.

“Habang kulang ang guro sa sahod, benepisyo, at item, sobra-sobra naman ang pondo para sa discretionary projects ng LGUs. Hindi ito kakulangan sa pondo—ito ay usapin ng maling prayoridad,” Bernardo said.

(While teachers lack adequate pay, benefits, and plantilla items, funding for LGU discretionary projects is excessive. This is not a lack of funds—it is a matter of wrong priorities.)

She also questioned the Senate’s anti-pork stance, saying it contradicts the expansion of LGU discretionary funds.

“Kung tunay na laban sa pork, bakit kinakaltasan ang MPBF at pinalalaki ang LGU discretionary funds?” Bernardo said.

(If there is truly a fight against pork, why cut the MPBF and expand LGU discretionary funds?)

Call to restore MPBF

ACT urged the bicameral conference committee to restore the P55 billion MPBF allocation proposed in the National Expenditure Program and retained in the House version of the budget.

The group said the funds should be used to increase PERA, fill vacant plantilla positions in DepEd, SUCs, and other agencies, regularize contractual and job order workers, and strengthen public sector benefits.

“Ang kailangan ng bayan ay guro at kawani na may disenteng sahod, sapat na benepisyo, at seguridad sa trabaho,” Bernardo said.

(What the country needs are teachers and government workers with decent pay, adequate benefits, and job security.)

ACT further said it would intensify campaigns and mobilizations against budget measures it said favor political patronage over public service.

GMA News Online has sought comment from the Department of Education on the issue and will update its report once a response is received.—MCG, GMA Integrated News