ACT: 75% of teachers spend over P5,000 on Brigada Eskwela

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines said on Monday that 75% of its surveyed teachers across 800 schools nationwide have spent over P5,000, as the Education department kicks off Brigada Eskwela.

“Its very likely we’ll hear schools call for collective efforts, community spirit today, but in reality, teachers and citizens still carry most of the burden,” ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo said in Filipino during a press conference.

The group added that while the Department of Education (DepEd) has received a P1.015 trillion budget for Fiscal Year 2026, teachers still have to spend their own money for classroom and school preparations.

“Our teachers have spent their own money, despite being overworked and underpaid,” she said. “While the government claims to have a historic budget, our teachers continue to shoulder expenses out of their own pockets.”

The annual volunteer program, launched by DepEd on Monday, aims to prepare classrooms in public schools by mobilizing communities to clean, repair, and repaint classroom and school grounds.

“Brigada Eskwela is proof our strength as a community spirit for the future of our youth,” Education Secretary Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in Filipino in a news release.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has partnered with DepEd through its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program to strengthen school preparation further.

Under the partnership, DOLE will employ 243,000 workers to help prepare public schools, specifically those in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAS), underserved communities, and disaster-affected areas.

DepEd said that qualified parents and relatives of learners will be given priority for the post, and each worker will receive P5,000 for their work.

“We integrated TUPAD and Brigada not only to prepare our schools, but also to provide livelihood opportunities for families in need,” Mr. Angara said.

ACT also raised concerns about teachers’ preparedness for the upcoming school year (SY).

Based on its survey, the group said that 30% of teachers are still unaware of their teaching load as the new three-term calendar rolls out nationwide.

“A lot of our schools have yet to finish their teachers’ loading, which mandates how many classes and class hours each teacher will handle in line with the full implementation of the three-term calendar,” Ms. Bernardo said.

“Although there was an orientation, it is not clear how they could implement it on the ground,” she added.

DepEd reported 26 to 28 million enrollees for SY 2026-2027, as classes begin next week, June 8. — Almira Louise S. Martinez