12/04/2026
More than 100 public school teachers have come forward. Not to ask for recognition. But to ask for help.
This was reported by Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (KMJS).
After being buried in debt, many of them said they are left with almost nothing from their salaries. Their ATM cards are held by lending companies, and even their bonuses and allowances are being taken.
One of them, Teacher Mayse, shared how it all began.
A loan taken years ago. A husband with unstable work. Amounts that kept increasing, not because of new needs, but because of growing interest.
What was supposed to help became something harder to escape. A ₱195,000 loan. But only ₱18,000 actually received. The rest went to renew old debts.
Then life happened. Her husband passed away. And survival became the priority.
Food over payments. Children over obligations. Now, demand letters are arriving. Ex*****on may follow.
And in between all of that, she still teaches.
She said she cries at night. Then wakes up the next day and shows up for her students.
Another group of teachers shared the same weight. Not because they refuse to pay. But because nothing is left. Even transportation money has to be borrowed.
Their GSIS benefits are on hold. Their clothing allowance, midyear bonus, and 13th month pay, gone.
Last Christmas, they had nothing to prepare. Even New Year passed the same way.
“Sino ba ang ayaw magbayad?” one of them asked. “But sana naman, makatao.”
This is what makes the situation heavier. These are teachers. People who show up every day to educate, guide, and build the future of others. Yet quietly, many of them are drowning.
And maybe this is where we pause. While systems may fail, God does not.
He sees the quiet tears. He sees the sacrifices no one applauds. And He remains close to those who feel like they have nothing left.
In a story filled with loss and pressure, there is still a quiet hope, that provision can come, that justice can rise, and that even in the hardest seasons, no one is unseen, and no one is forgotten.
