World Education Connect Multidisciplinary e-Publication, Vol. VI, Issue VII (July 2026), pp.215-236
Grophel L. Mesa
grophel.mesa@deped.gov.ph
Arce-Gastardo National High School, DepEd Masbate Province
Abstract – Financial well-being is an important part of a teacher's health and professional focus. To sustain the provision of quality education, teachers need to effectively manage their financial resources while still meeting the demands of their jobs. Despite its importance, a lot of teachers’ attention is diverted to their growing financial pressures instead of focusing on their classes, especially because of low starting salaries and the rising cost of living. Many Filipino teachers are said to be in debt and to have personal loans, which causes them to be stressed, anxious, and less focused on teaching quality, hurting the stability of their families. This study aimed to determine teachers’ financial practices, challenges, and coping mechanisms in public secondary schools for the school year 2025-2026 in the Cataingan West District, Masbate Province Division, involving 15 teachers selected using purposive sampling. Using a validated interview guide and analyzed through Thematic Analysis, the results revealed that teachers demonstrate responsible and structured financial practices even when facing financial constraints; they encounter complex financial challenges that impact their personal well-being and professional effectiveness, and they utilize various adaptive coping mechanisms to address financial challenges, with these actions primarily motivated by necessity. This study therefore recommends implementing a comprehensive financial literacy action plan to enhance teachers' budgeting, saving, and long-term financial planning skills, based on the findings of this study.
Keywords: financial challenges, public secondary school teachers, Financial Literacy Plan, phenomenological study, complete enumeration
https://zenodo.org/records/21457416
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