Teachers’ Expenditure Patterns and Debt Profile in Relation to their Work Commitment, Productivitiy, and Attendance in Temistocles A. Merioles, Sr. Memorial High School

Abstract

Teachers must manage competing household expenses, savings, and loan obligations while sustaining professional responsibilities, yet school-specific evidence linking these financial circumstances to occupational outcomes remains limited. This study described teachers’ expenditure patterns and debt profiles and examined their associations with self-reported work commitment, productivity, and attendance at Temistocles A. Merioles Memorial High School in Uson, Masbate, Philippines. A quantitative descriptive–correlational design involved 30 teachers selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a three-part structured questionnaire covering expenditure-related practices, debt characteristics, and professional behaviors and analyzed through frequencies, percentages, weighted means, and Pearson’s product–moment correlation at the .05 significance level. Household and healthcare expenses received the highest composite agreement ratings (both 3.77), whereas savings and investments received the lowest (2.69). Eighty percent of respondents reported three or more existing loans, 80.00% reported outstanding loans of ₱500,000 or above, and 83.33% reported remaining balances of at least ₱500,000. Additionally, 73.33% reported monthly loan amortization of ₱15,000 or more. Housing construction or repair was the leading borrowing purpose (50.00%). Teachers reported high work commitment, productivity, and attendance (composite mean = 3.82). The reported correlations of expenditure patterns (r = .34) and debt profile (r = .28) with the combined occupational outcome were not statistically significant at .05; however, the documented calculations require verification. Findings indicate considerable reported financial obligations alongside high self-rated professional functioning, without establishing causal relationships. School-level financial literacy, savings, and debt-management support may address identified needs, although the single-school convenience sample and self-reported measures limit generalizability.