MANILA - Malacañang on Tuesday said teachers and other government workers should not expect any further salary hike before 2020.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque explained that teachers and other government workers are still expecting two more tranches of salary increase in 2018 and 2019 under the Salary Standardization Law.

“The entire cabinet affirmed the President’s directive that we will continue to look for ways and means to effect and increase the teachers’ salary but beginning 2020, not 2019,” Roque said in a news conference.

“The rationale for this is the last tranche of [increase under] salary standardization law will be implemented in 2019. The effort is not just to look for ways and means to increase the salary of all public school teachers, it is also to increase the salary of all workers in the public sector.”

Public school teachers have been clamoring for a significant increase in their salaries following the pay hike of policemen, soldiers and other uniformed personnel this year.

• Cops, soldiers, other uniformed personnel to begin receiving doubled pay

The Department of Education (DepEd) said a Teacher I under salary grade 11 currently earns P19,620, while a Master Teacher IV (salary grade 21) earns P47,779.