Cebu: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced significant reforms in the teacher promotion system within the Department of Education (DepEd), addressing long-standing career stagnation issues in public schools. This news came during the mass oath-taking ceremony of 3,325 newly promoted teachers and school heads from 44 municipalities in Cebu province, held at the International Eucharistic Congress Convention Center.
According to Philippines News Agency, the ceremony was part of DepEd's Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system, which aims to promote 100,000 teachers nationwide in the current year. President Marcos highlighted that the reforms were introduced to rectify the prolonged waiting periods previously faced by teachers for career advancement. He noted that prior to these changes, teachers could spend decades moving from positions such as Teacher I to Teacher III, and even longer to advance further.
The President explained that due to limited promotion opportunities, many educators had shifted to administrative roles for higher salaries or left the profession entirely, exacerbating the teacher shortage. In response, the government institutionalized the Expanded Career Progression system in September 2025 through the Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act, which established additional ranks and clearer advancement tracks.
Under the new system, educators can pursue two career paths-classroom teaching or school administration. New positions, including Teacher IV to VII, Master Teacher V to VI, and School Principal V, were introduced to increase promotion opportunities. President Marcos reported that nearly 19,500 teachers and school heads nationwide had been promoted under the reform from August 2025 to February 2026.
The President also mentioned initiatives to support teacher welfare, including the creation of over 61,500 teaching positions from 2022 to 2025, with 97 percent filled as of January 2026, and the hiring of additional non-teaching staff to alleviate administrative burdens. He commended teachers for their dedication, describing teaching as a vocation and a sacred duty, and urged the newly promoted educators to continue guiding Filipino youth and strengthening the education system.
