MANILA – The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines has called on the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to ensure the full and timely release of the P20,000 Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) to all eligible teachers and education workers before the end of 2025. The appeal, issued on December 27, 2025, warns that delays or partial payments undermine the government’s recognition of educators’ sacrifices amid stagnant wages, rising costs, and heavy workloads.
ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo emphasized: “Teachers should not be made to wait for a benefit already authorized by the President—the SRI is meant for immediate relief, especially during the holidays.”
SRI Release Status
DepEd began disbursing the SRI in tranches starting mid-December:
- Initial Tranche: Up to P14,500 credited to eligible employees’ ATM accounts.
- Second Tranche: Released in late December to complete the full P20,000.
- Additional Incentives: P5,000 Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) and up to P10,000 Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) for non-teaching staff (CNA in January 2026).
The SRI—authorized under Administrative Order No. 64 and DBM Budget Circular 2025-3—covers around 1 million DepEd personnel, including teachers, non-teaching staff, and contract workers (gratuity pay up to P7,000 for the latter).
While many regions reported credits before Christmas, ACT highlighted uneven implementation and urged DepEd to accelerate processes for uniform nationwide release by December 31.
For teachers juggling holiday expenses and year-end duties, the full SRI isn’t just a bonus—it’s earned recognition, timely relief in tough times.
SRI Package Snapshot (FY 2025):
| Incentive | Amount | Eligible Recipients | Release Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) | P20,000 | Teachers & non-teaching personnel | In tranches; full by end-2025 |
| Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) | P5,000 | All qualified DepEd employees | December 2025 |
| CNA Incentive | Up to P10,000 | Eligible non-teaching staff | January 2026 |
| Gratuity Pay | Up to P7,000 | Contract/Job Order workers | December 2025 |