Various groups of workers and government employees condemned Ferdinand Marcos Jr for another act of favoritism toward the military in the form of a ₱200 increase in the daily allowance for all soldiers. Marcos issued an executive order on March 14 to implement this provision.

From ₱150/day, this benefit will raise soldiers’ allowances to ₱350/day, on top of their already high salaries. Meanwhile, the Marcos regime has only added ₱20-₱50 to the base pay of teachers and other government employees from 2024 to 2027. Similarly, a mere ₱29-₱50 increase has been granted to the minimum wage of workers in the private sector.

Alliance of Concerned Teachers chairperson Vladimer Quetua said this clearly demonstrates the government’s favoritism toward the military.

“While billions are allocated to doubling soldiers’ daily allowances, teachers and civil servants, who are the backbone of public service, receive only a negligible increase,” he said.

He stated that the additional allowance for the military is clearly bribery to secure their loyalty. Previously, rumors emerged about “disloyalty” within the administration among soldiers, alongside speculations that Rodrigo Duterte would be arrested until this was carried out.

“The government justifies the overdue allowance hike for soldiers as necessary to address economic hardships, inadequate pay, and the rising cost of living. Yet, it completely disregards the same struggles and worsening working conditions faced by teachers and other public servants. This shows that its primary concern is securing military loyalty rather than addressing the pressing needs of its workforce,” he said.

Marcos must not exploit additional compensation as a tool to solidify its his grip on power while neglecting other employees.

“This is unacceptable,” he said. He demand an immediate increase in salaries for new teachers to ₱50,000 and ₱30,000 for entry-level employees.