President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lauded public school educators after witnessing the oathtaking of 2,915 newly promoted teachers and school leaders from the National Capital Region (NCR), stressing the push his administration is doing to accelerate the long-delayed career progression in the education sector.
“As you take your oath, you are renewing the promise that you have made to our children and to our nation because you carry a big responsibility every single day inside the classrooms and always extending way beyond school hours,” Marcos said.
“Our fight to build a better government begins through education and through the people who mold the minds of our youth.”
“As your public servant, I believe that our fight to build a better government begins through education and through the people who mold the minds of our youth,” he added.
The ceremony marked the promotion of educators to higher career stages, including
Teacher III to VII, Master Teacher II to V, and Principal II to IV.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara administered the oath-taking witnessed by the President, Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay and senior officials of the Department of Education (DepEd).
“Sa ilalim ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, inuuna natin ang guro—hindi lang sa salita, kundi sa malinaw na reporma na nagbibigay ng dignidad, pag-angat, at kinabukasan sa propesyon ng pagtuturo,” Angara said.
The promotion was made through a fast-tracked process combining appointments with natural vacancies and position reclassification under the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) framework, giving way for the Department to act on pending promotion backlogs in different NCR divisions.
There are a total of 2,915 promoted personnel, 2,186 of which were able to get promotion through natural vacancies, while 729 got the promotion through the ECP reclassification.
It showed the dual-track approach that gave way for qualified educators to get promoted based on merit and readiness, and not in the availability of vacant plantilla positions.
The promotion is based on Republic Act No. 12288, or the Career Progression for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act of 2025, a landmark reform signed under the Marcos administration.
“Using both the natural vacancy appointments and the ECP reclassification gave divisions the flexibility to respond to their differences in staffing conditions and readiness levels.”
The law mandates a structured, competency-based career system with parallel tracks for classroom teaching and school administration, with equivalent salaries and benefits, and a clear provision against any reduction on the compensation of teachers.
According to DepEd, using both the natural vacancy appointments and the ECP reclassification gave divisions the flexibility to respond to their differences in staffing conditions and readiness levels, while maintaining the integrity of the government personnel system.
The Department also stressed that promotion is based on the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers, to make sure the advancement is based on competence, performance, and professional growth.
In giving way for teachers to get promoted while remaining in classrooms, DepEd said this reform retained expert teachers, boosted their morale, and strengthened learning outcomes of students.
The NCR ceremony follows a similar program done last January in Ilocos Region, where 789 teachers took their oath after being promoted signaling the nationwide rollout and momentum for reform.
The ceremony was done under the guiding principle of DepEd NCR’s RISE—Resilience, Integrity, Service, and Excellence, highlighting the expanded responsibility of teachers and school heads as frontline leaders in education reform, with the President standing as witness in their renewed commitment to learners and the country.
