SONA 2026: Marcos says 80,000 educators promoted, 30,000 teaching posts created

More than 80,000 teachers and school heads have been promoted, while over 30,000 new teaching positions have been created, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

Marcos recalled that in his 2025 SONA, he vowed that no public school teacher would retire under the Teacher I rank.

“Ngayon, mahigit 80,000 guro at School Heads sa pampublikong paaralan ang na-promote gawa ng ating Expanded Career Progression. Nagkaroon na rin ng mahigit 30,000 karagdagang posisyon para lumakas ang puwersa ng mga guro,” Marcos said.

(Now, more than 80,000 teachers and school heads in public schools have been promoted through the Expanded Career Progression program. We have also created more than 30,000 additional positions to strengthen the teaching workforce.)

Marcos also said the government has provided teachers with instructional tools and equipment, including Smart TVs, laptops, tablets, free mobile data, and lapel microphones.

To help address the classroom shortage, the President said his administration has tapped the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and local government units to build more classrooms.

“For its part, the private sector too will construct its initial share of more than 16,000 classrooms in Luzon, by way of PPPs. Additional PPPs with higher production targets will soon follow for the Visayas and Mindanao,” Marcos said.

—VBL, GMA News