CATBALOGAN CITY (September 29, 2025) — More than 950,000 public school teachers across the country are set to receive a ₱1,000 cash incentive on Sunday, October 5, in celebration of World Teachers’ Day, House Assistant Minority Leader and Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales announced on Saturday, Sept. 28.
“The ₱955 million funding for this year’s World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefit (WTDIB) is itemized in the 2025 General Appropriations Law, with a special provision to guarantee its timely release,” Gonzales said in a statement.
Gonzales, who sits on the House committees on appropriations and on basic education and culture, said the benefit aims to recognize the vital role of educators in national development.
He assured public school teachers that the incentive would remain a yearly priority and disclosed efforts to increase the amount.
“We’ve filed a bill seeking to enhance the benefit,” he said, referring to House Bill No. 4531, which he co-authored with House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan.
The proposed measure seeks to triple the WTDIB from ₱1,000 to ₱3,000, making it a permanent fixture in the national budget.
“The proposed higher benefit is not merely an incentive but a clear expression of our nation’s gratitude. Public school teachers are the backbone of our education system. They deserve recognition not just in words, but through tangible support,” Gonzales said.
The World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefit was first granted in 2019 as a line item in the national budget. The new bill aims to institutionalize the incentive beyond annual appropriations.
World Teachers’ Day, celebrated globally every October 5 since 1994, is an initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In the Philippines, Republic Act No. 10743 also declares October 5 as National Teachers’ Day, recognizing the dedication and service of Filipino educators.
