Marcos swears in newly promoted NCR teachers

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday led the oath-taking of newly promoted teachers and school heads in Metro Manila under the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Expanded Career Progression (ECP), pledging sustained reforms and funding to improve teachers’ welfare and professional growth.

Speaking at the Rise in Service ceremony at the Makati Coliseum, Marcos said the administration is committed to ensuring that public school teachers see "real" career advancement.

This, as he emphasized that education remains the foundation of good governance, saying many of the country’s problems cannot be solved by legislation alone but through values instilled in schools.

“Sa bawat batang natututo ng tama at mali, sa bawat kaalaman na naibabahagi, dito nagsisimula ang pagbabago,” emphasized the President. 

(With every child who learns right from wrong, with every piece of knowledge that is shared, that is where change begins.)

Marcos said the government has backed its commitments with substantial funding, noting that education received more than P1.34 trillion in the national budget—equivalent to four percent of the country’s economy.

He cited the release of the 2025 Service Recognition Incentive for teaching and non-teaching staff, supported by an additional P7.3 billion to ensure full payment to all eligible personnel, as well as a P10,000 teaching allowance for School Year 2025–2026 and the issuance of guidelines for a P7,000 medical allowance.

Marcos, meanwhile, said the Expanded Career Progression system will open higher-level positions through strategic reclassification, allowing senior educators to advance based on merit while creating opportunities for new graduates to enter the system.

“No public school teacher should retire as Teacher I anymore...  Ang inyong promotion ay magiging pintuan patungo sa mas magandang buhay para sa inyo at sa inyong pamilya,” Marcos said.

(Your promotion will be a doorway to a better life for you and your family.)

He urged teachers to continue shaping not only academic competence but also integrity, responsibility, and love of country among students. —VAL, GMA Integrated News