THE House committee on basic education and culture has approved a measure seeking to increase to P3,000 the World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefit (WTDIB) currently granted to more than 950,000 public school teachers nationwide.
The 66-member panel, chaired by Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, on May 18 endorsed for plenary approval House Bill No. 4531 authored by Eastern Samar Lone District Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales.
Under existing law and Department of Education (DepEd) guidelines, qualified public school teachers receive a P1,000 incentive every October 5 in observance of World Teachers’ Day.
“We are deeply grateful to the Romulo committee for endorsing this important measure,” Gonzales said in a statement.
“Our teachers play a vital role in shaping the nation’s future. Increasing the WTDIB is not only about extending financial support — it is also a meaningful recognition of the dedication, hard work, and sacrifices our educators make every day,” Gonzales added.
Gonzales said the proposed increase serves as a concrete expression of the nation’s gratitude to teachers who continue to devote their time and energy, often beyond their classroom duties, to help Filipino students achieve their full potential.
Aside from increasing the amount of the incentive, the bill also seeks to institutionalize the WTDIB, which Congress first granted to public school teachers in 2019 through a provision inserted in the General Appropriations Act.
House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan is a co-author of the measure.
Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, Congress allocated P983.5 million for the WTDIB at the current rate of P1,000 per qualified teacher.
Should Gonzales’s bill eventually be enacted into law, Congress would need to allocate at least P2.95 billion annually to fund the proposed P3,000 incentive.