ILOILO City — The Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 is continuing the processing of teacher promotion and reclassification applications under the government’s Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system even as no schedule has yet been set for the next oath-taking of promoted personnel.
The ongoing rollout of the merit-based promotion system marks a major shift in the country’s public education sector, allowing teachers to move up the ranks based on qualifications and performance rather than waiting for limited plantilla vacancies.
According to Hernani Escullar Jr., DepEd-6 information officer, Schools Division Offices (SDOs) across Western Visayas are already processing Fiscal Year 2025 promotion applications while simultaneously accepting reclassification applications for 2026.
The applications cover promotion to higher teaching and school leadership positions, including Teacher II to VII, Master Teacher I to V, and School Principal I to IV.
The initiative is anchored on the directive of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address the long-standing bottleneck in teacher promotions.
“Sa kabila ng inyong sipag, kakayahan, dedikasyon, kailangan pang maghintay ng taon at kung minsan dekada upang umangat ang ranggo mula sa Teacher I patungo sa Teacher III dahil 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 said.
“This administration immediately recognized that this has to change so we took action to address it,” he added.
Under the ECP system, DepEd will prioritize retiring Teacher I incumbents, head teachers and assistant school principals affected by the transition, as well as special education and science teaching positions. Applicants must meet the required 50-point cut-off score and pass the necessary assessments.
Escullar said processed applications will remain in a pool of eligible candidates should FY 2026 funds be exhausted, pending the release of additional funding from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
To synchronize with the DBM’s budget cycle, SDOs are required to complete assessments and submit reclassification documents to regional offices by Aug. 15, while approved documents must reach the DBM regional office no later than Nov. 30. Appointments are expected to be prepared and issued between January and March of the succeeding fiscal year.
DepEd also assured teachers that the agency is expanding professional development opportunities through Learning Action Cell sessions, in-service trainings, and other capability-building programs./PN