ILOILO City – More than 8,500 newly promoted teachers and school heads in Western Visayas formally took their oath before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on April 27, as the government accelerates reforms to address long-standing promotion bottlenecks in the education sector.
The mass oath-taking at Villareal Stadium in Roxas City, Capiz highlighted the government’s push to overhaul career progression in the Department of Education (DepEd), with Marcos emphasizing the need to end decades-long delays that have kept many educators from advancing in rank.
“Sa kabila ng inyong sipag, kakayahan, dedikasyon, kailangan pang maghintay ng taon at kung minsan dekada upang umangat ang ranggo mula sa Teacher Ipatungo sa Teacher IIIdahil limitado lamang ang posisyon. Some teachers were forced to leave the classroom and the profession that they chose with passion because when the progress takes too long and the opportunities remain are scarce, the system is not fair,” Marcos stressed.
“This administration immediately recognized that this has to change so we took action to address it,” he added.
The ceremony brought together 8,566 educators from eight Schools Division Offices (SDOs) across the region, marking one of the largest mass promotions under the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) program.
Data from DepEd Region 6 showed that Aklan accounted for 2,467 oath-takers, followed by Capiz with 2,191, Iloilo Province with 2,005, Iloilo City with 618, Guimaras with 444, Roxas City with 423, Passi City with 264, and Antique with 154.
The ECP program introduces a dual-track system allowing educators to pursue either classroom teaching or school administration, removing the need to wait for vacant positions before promotion.
“The Expanded Career Progression System defines clear career lines and offers two distinct pathways: classroom teaching and school administration. Whether you remain in the classroom or you take leadership roles in school management, that choice is now up to you…Mas pinalawak ang inyong oportunidad sa pag-angat ng akma sa inyong kakayahan at piniling trabaho,” Marcos said.
Under the program, new positions such as Teacher IV to VII, Master Teacher V to VI, and School Principal V have been created to strengthen school leadership structures and provide clearer advancement pathways.
Marcos also disclosed that nearly 80,000 educators nationwide have already been promoted since the rollout of the system.
“Simula noong Agosto 2025 hanggang ngayon, halos walumpung libong teacher – 79,230 teachers at school heads sa buong bansa ay na-promote na sa ilalim nitong ECP System. Sa bilang na ito, mahigit 8,500 guro ay mula naman dito sa Western Visayas. Kabilang dito ang 124 na guro na malapit na mag-retire pero nag-aantay pa rin ng kanilang promotion,” he said.
The President reiterated the administration’s commitment to ensuring no teacher retires without career advancement.
“Kaya’t sinabi ko, hindi na tayo papayag na mayroong guro na magre-retirena Teacher I dahil hindi naman talaga tama ‘yun. Mayroon pa kaming nakabinbin na promotionsna kasalukuyan nating isinasakatuparan upang matiyak na walang guro na maiiwanan,” he stressed.
Also present during the event were First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Capiz’s Gov. Fredenil Castro, and Roxas City’s Mayor Ronnie Dadivas.
The mass oath-taking underscored the government’s broader effort to professionalize the teaching workforce and strengthen the country’s education system through merit-based advancement and expanded career opportunities./PN
