Senator Joel Villanueva has filed Senate Bill Nos. 1605 and 1606 to standardize and protect allowances for faculty and non-teaching staff in public schools, ensuring they are adjusted for inflation and shielded from budget cuts.
Both measures grant a quarterly benefit of ₱5,000—or ₱20,000 annually—for teachers, administrative staff, and personnel in state universities and colleges (SUCs), state-run technical-vocational (tech-voc institutions), and the Alternative Learning System (ALS).
The package covers grocery, transport, and medical expenses.
Villanueva stressed that only a law can safeguard these benefits, noting that allowances will be exempt from taxes unless they exceed the threshold under the National Internal Revenue Code.
He said the bills affirm the State’s duty to prioritize education by supporting the people who deliver it. (Hannah Torregoza)
