THE HOUSE committee on Basic Education and Culture has approved a measure seeking to increase the World Teachers’ Day Incentive Benefit (WTDIB) for public school teachers nationwide from P1,000 to P3,000.

The panel, chaired by Roman Romulo, endorsed for plenary approval House Bill No. 4531 authored by Christopher Sheen Gonzales.

Under existing law and guidelines of the Department of Education, 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,” he added.

Gonzales said the proposed increase is 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.

Marcelino Libanan, the House Minority Leader, is also 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 the bill eventually be enacted into law, Congress would need to allocate at least P2.95 billion annually to fund the proposed P3,000 incentive.