DepEd clears 5,335 delayed teacher promotions under career reform

The Department of Education (DepEd) has approved 5,335 long-pending teacher promotion requests that were filed under the old rules, marking what it described as a "significant step" in its transition to the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) System.

In a press release on March 3, DepEd said the approved requests were among older cases that had been waiting under previous promotion rules, including those processed through the Equivalents Record Form and earlier department orders issued in 1979 and 2011.

The approval is part of the department’s move to fully roll out the new ECP system, which is designed to give public school teachers across the country a clearer and fairer path for promotion based on their qualifications and performance.

The milestone was achieved through coordination between DepEd, led by Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) under Acting Secretary Rolando U. Toledo.

The initiative supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to prioritize teachers’ welfare and professional development.

“This is more than achieving numbers. This is about our sustained efforts to ensure our educators receive the recognition they truly deserve," Angara said.

"Following President Bongbong Marcos’ directive, we are accelerating the ECP system to make sure no public school teacher ever retires at the entry-level rank of Teacher I,” he added.

Leadership reclassification

Aside from promoting teachers, DepEd is also working on changes in school leadership. The department said it is waiting for the DBM to give final approval to 914 "on stream" candidates — including head teachers, assistant principals, and teachers-in-charge — who are set to be promoted to school principal posts.

With a record P6.1 billion allocation for fiscal year 2026, DepEd said it aims to promote more than 100,000 public school teachers this year under the ECP System.

The department said the reforms are designed to boost teacher morale, create clearer leadership pathways, and ultimately improve learning outcomes for Filipino students.—MCG, GMA Integrated News