Three days before the celebration of World Teachers’ Day, Pampanga First District Representative Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. filed House Bill No. 5067 on October 2, 2025, seeking to increase the entry-level salaries of public school teachers, teaching personnel in higher education, and public non-teaching staff.

The proposed measure, to be known as the “Entry Level Salary Increase for Public School Teachers Act,” aims to upgrade the salary grade of public school teachers from SG 11 to SG 15, teaching personnel in higher education from SG 12 to SG 17, and set a minimum salary of ₱18,000 for regular non-teaching staff.

“Ang pagtuturo ay isang adbokasiya dahil ang ating mga guro ay naglalaan ng pang-habangbuhay na dedikasyon para dito,” Lazatin said.

“Alam ko po ang hirap ng ating mga guro, kaya kasama sa aking legislative agenda ang pagpasa ng batas para sa kanilang kapakanan,” he added.

When Lazatin first announced his congressional bid on June 28, 2024, he vowed to push for a salary increase for public school teachers—a promise he now fulfills with HB 5067.

“Kung tutuusin, maliit na bagay lang po ito bilang pagkilala sa sakripisyo ng ating mga guro, dahil hindi matatawaran ang kanilang paghihirap para hubugin ang isip at kamalayan ng ating kabataan,” he said.

Also on October 2, Lazatin visited public schools in the First District to inspect ongoing construction of multi-purpose buildings and personally delivered cakes as gifts to teachers—a yearly tradition of appreciation in celebration of World Teachers’ Day.

He was joined by District Engineer Arnold Ocampo of the DPWH Pampanga 3rd District Engineering Office during the visit.