The Marcos administration has raised virtually every teacher allowance and benefit to historic highs, with the most dramatic increase being the chalk or teaching allowance, which jumped ₱10,000, Teacher Mariane Luchavez confirmed Saturday.
Luchavez made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 1, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the Department of Education, enumerating the full range of benefit improvements she has personally experienced.
“Ang laki po ng tinaas, parang limang daan lang noong araw ‘yun,” Luchavez said, describing the chalk allowance increase as one of the most significant changes she has seen in her 27-year public school career.
The clothing allowance increased from ₱5,000 to ₱7,000, while the teaching supplies allowance—previously called the chalk allowance—rose from ₱500 to ₱10,000.
The step increment bonus was also raised to ₱20,000—the maximum possible amount—for two consecutive years, the first time in history this maximum was given to all teaching and non-teaching DepEd personnel. “Binigay mo ‘yung maximum, opo, for two consecutive years. First time,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed.
Luchavez said teachers also receive a medical allowance of ₱7,000, mid-year and year-end bonuses, a Performance-Based Incentive, a Special Retirement Incentive, a ₱2,000 Performance Enhancement Incentive, and a World Teachers Day allowance.
She said the cumulative impact of all the increases has transformed the financial reality for public school teachers, who previously spent their own chalk and teaching allowances on classroom supplies.
“Dati kasi ‘yung mga materials pa po sa pagtuturo, doon po namin kinukuha sa budget na po ‘yun,” Luchavez said.
Angara said the full package of teacher benefits, combined with the career progression reform and the 57% reduction in administrative work, is designed to make public school teaching a truly rewarding profession that can attract and retain the best Filipino talent.
