Real Talk

When Teachers Become Family: Why Two Bills Matter More Than Ever

by Kevyn Gohu
September 8, 2025

It takes a village to raise a child, and in that village, public school teachers are usually part of it

In many Filipino homes, public school teachers are often thought of as second parents. They devote themselves to guiding not just our children’s minds but also encouraging their values, dreams, and curiosity. Yet, beyond the classroom, many of these educators juggle more than lesson plans. They carry the weight of administrative tasks, family responsibilities, and the emotional labor of caring for students day in, day out.

The Night Shift No One Talks About

The running gag about being a teacher is that work doesn’t end after the last school bell. It gets taken home; revising PowerPoint, checking papers, filing papers, and doing some administrative work that no one wants or can take on are all part of the public school teachers’ notorious “night shift.”

Studies by PIDS and the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) show that public school teachers regularly work well beyond their official six-hour daily teaching load—often clocking 52 hours or more each week. And the biggest culprit? Paperwork. Everything from submitting forms to managing feeding programs, registering students, and handling disaster protocols eats up precious classroom time.

It’s not an uncommon story for a public school teacher to handle multiple subjects and administrative duties. But this shouldn’t be the norm; teachers pour their heart and soul into moulding young minds, not gluing themselves to a desk to do clerical work.

Two Bills That Could Make a Real Difference

Senate Bill No. 211: Dagdag Sahod for Teachers and Employees

Senate Bill No. 211 of the 20th Congress aims to provide pay raises or “dagdag sahod” to public basic education personnel. It’s time we acknowledge the extraordinary effort our teachers invest both in and outside the classroom. As of now, the proposed wage hike is at PHP15,000.

Senate Bill No. 575: Healthy Buhay at Hanapbuhay Para sa Guro Act

More than a pay bump, SB 575 focuses on the teacher’s overall wellness—financial, emotional, and physical. It emphasizes building support systems for teachers to live healthy, balanced lives, even as they put their students’ needs ahead of their own.

Public School Teachers: The Unsung Heroes

We always celebrate the story of kids finally achieving their dreams of becoming valedictorians and the like. But what we rarely see are the teachers who applaud for them, shed tears, and spend all their hours encouraging them to be greater than the cards dealt to them behind the scenes. Especially if these kids are from public schools, we rarely see the teachers on the stage or physically there. They are there, however, in spirit.

As we celebrate also National Teacher’s Month, we remember that every success story begins with someone believing in them. While we believe in our kids’ ability to achieve their dreams, it helps to have someone beyond the home believing in them, too.