President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday pledged to expand career paths for teachers, describing their promotions as a “doorway to a better life” that provides financial stability and well-deserved recognition.

Speaking during the mass oath-taking of Metro Manila teachers and school heads under the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) at the Makati Coliseum in Makati City, Marcos recognized their sacrifices and responsibilities to fulfill their duties beyond school hours.

Marcos said the government is working to create additional teaching positions, reduce paperwork, and ensure no public school teacher retires as Teacher I.

“We will expand our educators’ career paths through strategic reclassification. By creating higher-level positions, senior educators can move up based on merit and open new entry positions to new graduates,” he said.

“We hope to help you achieve greater financial stability and the much-deserved recognition for your very, very hard work. Beyond these benefits and changes, our commitment to creating a system that protects and empowers teachers remains steadfast,” Marcos added.

Marcos reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promoting quality education, citing the allocation of over PHP1.34 trillion to the sector, equivalent to 4% of the country’s economy.

He also noted the release of the 2025 Service Recognition Incentive for teachers, totaling PHP7.3 billion, as well as a PHP10,000 teaching allowance for the 2025 to 2026 academic year and guidelines for a PHP7,000 medical allowance.

“Batid ko po ang bigat ng inyong tungkulin. Kung minsan, pag-uwi ninyo sa gabi, imbes na magpahinga, nakatutok pa kayo sa paggawa ng lesson plan, pagche-check ng mga papel at assignments. Kayo rin ang tumatayong pangalawang magulang ng ating mga estudyante at gumagabay sa ating kabataan (I am aware of the weight of your responsibilities. Sometimes, when you go home at night, instead of resting, you are still focused on preparing lesson plans and checking papers and assignments. You also serve as second parents to our students and guide our youth), Marcos said.

Marcos urged teachers to continue shaping the next generation, not only through academic lessons but by instilling values such as integrity, responsibility and love of country.

He made the call, as he acknowledged their vital role in molding the minds of the youth.

“Many of our country’s problems today cannot be remedied by laws or by policies alone. They require discipline, they require honesty, and compassion—values that, while first nurtured within the Filipino home, are further shaped and strengthened in our schools, by, you, our teachers,” he said.

“The government duly recognizes your efforts, and that’s why it has to be met with tangible support.”

Guided by the Department of Education’s (DepEd) core principle of RISE (Resilience, Integrity, Service and Excellence), a total of 2,915 promoted teachers and school heads took their oath before Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

The promotions were implemented through a fast-tracked process that combined appointments to natural vacancies and position reclassification under the ECP framework, enabling the DepEd to immediately address long-standing promotion backlogs across Metro Manila divisions. (PNA)