DBM Approves P8.68 Billion for Teacher Salary Upgrades

MANILA, Philippines — Salary upgrades for 93,344 public school personnel are underway after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the release of an additional P8.68 billion to the Department of Education (DepEd). Qualified personnel’s positions have been reclassified under the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) System. “As teachers advance in their profession, their salaries should also increase. They have worked hard for this career advancement, so they should feel its benefits,” acting Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon said. The covered personnel include those with issued notices of organization, staffing and compensation action and appointments for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The amount will be charged against the DepEd’s built-in personnel services lump-sum appropriations for 2026, consistent with the DBM-approved funding strategy for the ECP program. Regional offices of the DepEd will facilitate fund releases, ensuring that the fund reaches regions where qualified personnel are assigned. Meanwhile, the Marcos administration is proposing a sharp increase in funding for the career advancement of public school teachers next year, under the 2027 National Expenditure Program. Under the executive-level budget, P12.09 billion has been allocated for the ECP System, up by P5.94 billion from this year’s funding to support the continued reclassification and career advancement of public school teachers. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez is pushing for an additional P30 billion to the Department of Transportation (DOTr)’s proposed P300.96 billion budget for 2027. Additional funds would cover critical projects, including the construction of the Mindanao railway project, Rodriguez said. Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the DOTr will look for partner countries and multilateral development partners to fund the project as the railway is in the process of beginning its feasibility study.— Josiah Antonio