*Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope, PhD, EdD, DM
We all know many politicians and appointed officials who proudly call themselves public servants—yet continue to draw their full salaries, allowances, and benefits funded by the hard-earned taxes of ordinary Filipinos. They speak of service, but live in comfort. They talk of sacrifice but rarely show it. Every payday, their salaries are credited without delay, while countless Filipinos struggle just to buy rice, pay tuition, and send their children to school.
And now, as the nation reels from the flood control scandal and the issue of budget insertions, the Filipino people’s trust in government has sunk to one of its lowest points. The same old faces, the same old excuses—corruption continues to erode faith in public office. The people are no longer impressed by speeches. They are waiting for sincerity—an act so simple, yet so powerful, that it can pierce through cynicism and rekindle hope.
Then I came across a recent report from the Bilyonaryo News Network, and it stirred something deeply moral within me. It said that Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III has fulfilled his campaign promise by donating his entire salary to fund scholarships for poor but deserving students. That story caught my attention not just because of the gesture, but because of what it revealed—an act of selflessness that Sotto has quietly done for decades.
Few people realize that this was not new for him. Since his first election as Vice Mayor of Quezon City in 1998, Tito Sotto has consistently donated his salaries to fund educational programs and charitable causes. He has never sought publicity for it, never made it a campaign tool, and never used it to gain political favor. For more than two decades, he has served not for compensation, but for conviction.
When I read that story, I knew this was something the entire nation should recognize—and emulate. It should not remain a quiet act known only to a few. It deserves to echo across the archipelago. And so I decided to call it the Bigay Sweldo Challenge.
I am branding this movement to give it the name it deserves—a name that transforms one man’s humility into a call for collective conscience. The Bigay Sweldo Challenge para sa Kinabukasan ng Kabataang Pilipino is now an open invitation to all in government service, whether appointed or elected, to take part in this act of moral leadership.
This challenge extends to every co-terminous Presidential Appointee, Cabinet Secretary, Undersecretary, and Assistant Secretary, as well as every Senator, Congressman, Governor, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilor in this country.
Can you do it—just until 2028? Can you follow the example of Tito Sotto and give up your salaries, wholly or in part, to fund scholarships for poor and deserving Filipino students? You don’t have to do it forever. Do it for the next few years—for the remainder of this administration—and if your heart calls you to continue, then continue. But let this be your gift to the nation’s youth.
Imagine the impact. If every Cabinet Secretary or Undersecretary joined this cause, hundreds of students could finish college. If every Senator and Congressman did it, entire provinces could sustain scholarship programs. If every Governor, Mayor, and Councilor followed, every city and municipality could have local scholars of their own.
If this happens, the Filipino people would finally see genuine leadership—leaders who did not run for office or accept appointments to gain power and wealth, but to serve and to give. They would say with pride, “May pag-asa pa pala sa pamahalaan. May mga tunay na lingkod-bayan pa rin.”
And as I observe this moral awakening, I sincerely believe that even the President and the Vice President will soon take the Bigay Sweldo Challenge. Both understand that leadership is not about entitlement—it is about example. When the highest officials of the land give back, they will ignite a movement of conscience that no scandal or corruption can extinguish.
The Bigay Sweldo Challenge is not just about money—it is about meaning. It is not about popularity—it is about purpose. It is not about charity—it is about character. It is about helping the government help its people, and helping the people believe again that there is still decency in governance.
So I say this now, as a Filipino and as the one who names and champions this cause: Let us echo Tito Sotto’s lifelong act of selfless public service. Let this be a nationwide challenge, a movement of conscience, a moral noise that will be heard from the halls of Malacañang to the smallest barangay hall.
Because when your term ends and your title fades, you will not be remembered for the power you held or the wealth you kept—but for the lives you changed, the students you lifted, and the future you helped build.
#BigaySweldoChallengeParaSaKinabukasanNgKabataangPilipino
#LeadershipByExample
#DJOT
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