I Thought I Was Earning ₱33,705 — Then I Saw My Actual Teacher Salary (D4)

“Akala ko ₱33,705 na ang sweldo ko.”

When I became Salary Grade 11, Step 1, I was genuinely excited.

Basic pay: ₱31,705 PERA: ₱2,000

In my head, I had already done the math.

“Okay. Makakaahon na.”

Then payday came.

I checked my ATM balance, expecting to see the amount I had imagined for weeks.

Instead…

₱27,849.

I stared at the screen.

“Ha? Saan napunta yung halos ₱6,000?”

Turns out, this is where my salary actually goes every month.

Here’s the Math Nobody Told Me

Monthly Deductions

• GSIS — ₱2,853.45 I’ll be honest — I didn’t fully understand this deduction at first. Everyone keeps telling me it’s for retirement, so I’m hoping future me will thank present me someday.
• PhilHealth — ₱792.63
• Pag-IBIG — ₱200
• Withholding Tax — ₱1,009
• MP2 Savings (Voluntary) — ₱1,000 Future investment daw. Kaya kapit lang.

Total deductions: ₱5,855.08

Just like that…

My expected ₱33,705 became ₱27,849.

Since our salary is divided into two payroll periods, that’s around:

• ₱13,924 every 15th
• ₱13,925.92 every 30th

That .92 still makes me smile for some reason.

Then Reality Hit Me Again

My salary doesn’t stop at deductions.

It still has to cover real life.

Monthly Expenses

• Rent — ₱2,500
• Electricity — ₱300
• Groceries — ₱2,500 (tipid na ‘yan)
• Laptop installment (Home Credit, shared with my younger sibling) — ₱6,434
• Financial support for my sibling (rent, electricity, and water) — ₱7,600

Total monthly expenses: ₱19,334

So here’s what’s left.

₱27,849 − ₱19,334 = ₱8,515.

That’s it.

That remaining ₱8,515 still has to cover transportation, mobile load, medicine, unexpected contributions at work, emergency expenses, and those little purchases that somehow empty your wallet before the month ends.

Honestly, kahit may ₱8,515 pa akong natitira on paper, parang hindi ko naman siya nakikita. Money has a funny way of disappearing without asking for permission.

Why I Started Writing on Medium

I’m actually writing this while preparing the Table of Specifications (TOS) for my summative exam.

Teacher life doesn’t stop.

There are lesson plans to prepare, papers to check, meetings to attend, and deadlines that seem to multiply overnight.

So why start writing?

Because I realized I needed another way to grow.

Not because I expect to become rich overnight.

But because even an extra ₱1,000 a month would already make a difference.

That’s groceries.

That’s emergency money.

That’s one less thing to worry about.

Sometimes we don’t need life-changing income.

Sometimes we just need a little breathing room.

One Story at a Time

This is Day 4 of my ₱0 to $1 Medium journey.

Maybe this series won’t go viral.

Maybe it will.

Either way, I’ll keep writing.

One story at a time.

One lesson at a time.

One dollar at a time.

And maybe one day, I’ll look back at this article and smile because everything started with one surprising ATM balance.

Disclaimer: This article is based on my personal experience as a Salary Grade 11, Step 1 public school teacher in 2026. Actual net pay may vary depending on taxes, GSIS contributions, loans, voluntary savings, step increments, and other deductions. This is not financial advice — just an honest look at my own payslip.