RA 1372 — Philippine Normal College Faculty Salaries (R… | BatasKo

Sa madaling salita: Republic Act 1372, approved on June 18, 1955, locked in a salary scale for faculty of the Philippine Normal College (now Philippine Normal University) that mirrors what UP professors earn. It means your rank, your degree, and your civil service eligibility all add up to determine your pay — and no teacher can ever be paid less because of this law than what they were already earning before it took effect.

Real Filipino Scenario: The Instructor Who Didn't Know Her Degree Mattered

Krizia is 34, finishing her shift at a government hospital in Mandaluyong when her tita — a longtime instructor at PNC Manila — calls her in a panic.

Her tita holds an M.A. in Education and has been teaching at PNC for six years, but she's being told by a new admin officer that her salary will be "re-evaluated downward" during a reclassification exercise.

Under Section 1 of RA 1372, this is not legally possible. The law explicitly states that no faculty member shall receive compensation lower than what they were already receiving at the time the Act was approved (Section 2). Her M.A. degree also places her in a defined salary band as an Instructor: ₱3,240 to ₱3,840 annually under the 1955 scale — a floor that subsequent laws and general appropriations have built upon, never replaced downward.

What Krizia's tita should do:

Request a copy of the reclassification memo in writing.
Cite Section 2 of RA 1372 — her salary cannot go down.
Bring the issue to the PNU Human Resources Office and, if needed, the Civil Service Commission.

What the Law Actually Says

Republic Act No. 1372, signed by President Ramon Magsaysay on June 18, 1955, does four main things:

1. It sets a salary scale based on rank and degree.

Under Section 1 of RA 1372, PNC faculty are classified by professorial rank (Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructor) and by their highest educational attainment (Ph.D./Ed.D. or M.A./M.Ed./B.S.E.). The law provides minimum and maximum annual compensation for each combination — this is the same framework used by the University of the Philippines.

2. It adds pay for administrative duties.

Faculty holding administrative positions receive monthly supplements on top of their base salary:

Dean of Instruction: ₱100/month
Registrar and Directress of Student Teaching: ₱75/month
Dean of Student Affairs, Supervisor of Student Teaching, Department Chairman, and Principal of the Training Department: ₱50/month each

3. It rewards civil service eligibility.

Under Section 1 (third proviso), faculty with civil service eligibilities receive a monthly add-on:

Division Superintendent Examination Eligibility: ₱25/month
Senior Teacher Eligibility: ₱20/month
Junior Teacher Eligibility: ₱15/month

If you hold more than one eligibility, only your highest counts.

4. It protects existing salaries.

Section 2 is the most important worker-protection clause: no faculty member can receive less pay as a result of being reclassified under this new scale. Whatever you were earning before RA 1372 took effect — that becomes your floor.

5. It commits government funding.

Section 5 appropriated ₱110,000 from the National Treasury to cover the salary adjustments. Section 3 requires the adjusted salaries to be included in the annual General Appropriation Act going forward. Section 4 charges the Board of Trustees with implementing the law once funds are available.

What This Means for You / Ano ang Ibig Sabihin Nito

If you teach at PNU (the successor institution of PNC), here's the practical reality:

Your degree determines your salary band. A Ph.D. holder at the Professor rank earns more than an M.A. holder at the same rank — not as a matter of preference, but as a matter of law.

Your civil service eligibility adds to your base. It's not just a career badge — RA 1372 literally adds pesos to your monthly check depending on which exam you passed.

You cannot be paid less because of a reclassification. This is the salary floor principle under Section 2. Any subsequent law or administrative order that would cut your pay runs up against this protection.

The catch: RA 1372 used 1955 peso values. The specific peso amounts (₱2,940, ₱7,320, etc.) have long been superseded by the Salary Standardization Laws (SSL I through SSL V) and subsequent general appropriation acts. But the structure — rank-based, degree-tiered, with civil service add-ons — remains the legal DNA of how PNU faculty are classified today.

Real Filipino Scenario: The Admin Add-On Nobody Claimed

Sarah, 41, is a laundrywoman in Davao City whose younger sister Marites has been the Department Chairman of the Science Department at a PNC regional campus for two years.

Marites never received the extra ₱50/month for department chairs — not because the school withheld it, but because nobody told her it existed, and she never asked.

Under Section 1 of RA 1372, the administrative supplement for Department Chairman is explicitly listed. It's not discretionary — it's part of the law's compensation structure. The fact that Marites didn't know about it doesn't mean she wasn't entitled to it.

What Marites should do:

Check her past payslips to see if the administrative supplement was ever included.
If not, file a written query with the PNU Human Resources or Payroll Office citing Section 1 of RA 1372.
Ask how far back unpaid supplements can be claimed — this is a question for the Commission on Audit (COA) and the school's legal office.
If the school refuses to acknowledge the entitlement, escalate to the Civil Service Commission Regional Office in Davao.

What Most Filipinos Get Wrong

"RA 1372 is obsolete — the SSL replaced everything."

Partly true, partly not. The Salary Standardization Law (SSL) updated the peso values, yes. But RA 1372 established the legal framework for how PNC/PNU faculty are ranked and paid. The SSL built on top of it, not over it.

"Only full professors benefit from this law."

The law covers everyone from Instructors with a B.S.E. all the way to full Professors with Ph.D.s. It's a tiered scale — every rank is in there.

"You need to apply for the civil service supplement."

The supplement is a legal entitlement under the salary scale — it's not a separate benefit you file for like a housing loan. Your HR office is supposed to factor it into your base classification. If they didn't, you have grounds to flag it.

"The Board of Trustees can pay whatever they want."

The third proviso of Section 1 gives the Board of Trustees discretion only for special cases that cannot be covered by the specifications of the scale — not as a general override. They cannot use that discretion to pay below the minimum or ignore the degree-based structure.

"A salary decrease during reclassification is normal."

It is not. Section 2 of RA 1372 exists specifically to prevent this. If you are being reclassified and your school says your pay will go down, that is a red flag worth escalating.

For OFWs / Para sa mga OFW

If You're a Filipino Teacher Working Abroad

Gracelle is a Filipino nurse now based in Italy, but her sister Diwata — a PNU graduate who worked as an instructor at a PNC campus — has been offered a teaching post at the same campus again after years abroad.

Here's what's relevant for Filipinos returning to teach at PNU after an overseas stint:

Your degree still counts from day one. RA 1372's salary scale is degree-based. Whether you earned your M.A. in the Philippines, the UK, or Germany, what matters is the credential itself and whether it's recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and PNU's own academic standards.

Foreign degrees need authentication. Before your degree can be used for salary classification purposes, it typically needs to undergo:

Authentication/Apostille at the Philippine Embassy or Consulate in the country where it was issued (or via the DFA apostille process for countries under the Hague Convention)
Evaluation by CHED or by PNU's own graduate school for purposes of academic equivalency

Your civil service eligibility may still be valid. If you passed the Division Superintendent Exam or Teacher Eligibility exams before going abroad and your eligibility is still on record with the Civil Service Commission (CSC), RA 1372's supplemental pay structure still applies to you when you return.

Returning OFW teachers should contact:

PNU Human Resources Office — for salary classification upon rehire
Civil Service Commission (CSC) — to confirm that your eligibility record is still active (csc.gov.ph)
CHED — for recognition of foreign academic credentials (ched.gov.ph)
DFA — for apostille or authentication of foreign diplomas (dfa.gov.ph)

The POLO/MWO or DMW does not handle PNU salary classification — this falls entirely within the domestic education and civil service system, even for returning OFWs.

What to Do if Your Rights Are Violated / Ano ang Gagawin

Get everything in writing. Request your payslips, your classification memo, and any reclassification notice from your school's HR or Payroll office.
Know your classification. Identify your professorial rank and highest degree. Cross-reference these with Section 1 of RA 1372 to understand your salary band.
Check if administrative and civil service supplements are included. If you hold an administrative position or a civil service eligibility, confirm these are reflected in your pay.
Invoke Section 2 if your pay is being cut. Put it in writing: your salary cannot be reduced as a result of reclassification under RA 1372.
Escalate to CSC if the school is unresponsive. The Civil Service Commission handles salary classification disputes for government employees, including state university faculty (csc.gov.ph).
File a complaint with COA if you believe you were underpaid. The Commission on Audit can review whether public funds were disbursed in accordance with the applicable salary law.
Consult a labor lawyer or the Public Attorney's Office (PAO) if you need representation — PAO services are free for qualified individuals (pao.gov.ph).

Related Laws

Mga Madalas Itanong / FAQ

Q: Is RA 1372 still in effect today?

A: As a piece of legislation, RA 1372 has not been expressly repealed. However, its specific peso amounts have been superseded by later salary standardization laws. The structural principles — rank-based classification, degree-tiered pay, and the no-reduction guarantee — remain part of the legal foundation for PNU faculty compensation.

Q: What is the Philippine Normal College today?

A: PNC was converted into the Philippine Normal University (PNU) under Republic Act 9647, signed in 2009. PNU is now the National Center for Teacher Education, with a main campus in Manila and satellite campuses in Mindanao, Visayas, North Luzon, and South Luzon.

Q: Kung assistant professor ako na may Master's degree lang, covered ba ako?

A: Oo. Under Section 1 of RA 1372, Assistant Professors with an M.A. or M.Ed. are explicitly included in the salary scale. Kasama ka sa batas — hindi ito para lang sa mga may doctorate.

Q: Can the Board of Trustees override the salary scale?

A: Only for "special cases which cannot be covered by the specifications of the scale" — and that discretion must be exercised "upon the recommendation of the President of the College" per Section 1 of RA 1372. It is not a blanket override power. The Board cannot use it to pay below the minimum or ignore the degree-based structure for ordinary cases.

Q: Paano kung hindi pa available ang budget ng school — pwede bang i-defer ang salary adjustment?

A: Section 4 of RA 1372 acknowledges the availability-of-funds condition — the Board of Trustees implements the law "upon the availability of funds." But this is a temporary deferral mechanism, not a permanent escape. Once funds are available (typically through the General Appropriation Act under Section 3), the school is legally obligated to implement the salary scale.

Sources

Republic Act No. 1372 (June 18, 1955) — An Act Providing for the Adjustment of the Salaries of the Members of the Faculty of the Philippine Normal College in Accordance with the Salary Scale Used by the University of the Philippines. The Lawphil Project — Arellano Law Foundation. (archived at)
Civil Service Commission — Salary Classification and Grade Information. https://www.csc.gov.ph
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) — Foreign Credential Evaluation. https://www.ched.gov.ph
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) — Apostille and Document Authentication. https://www.dfa.gov.ph
Philippine Normal University — Official Website. https://www.pnu.edu.ph