President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed on Thursday that no teacher would retire without having been promoted.
“Kaya, gumagawa tayo ng mga hakbang upang marami pang guro ang tumaas ang posisyon, at kagaya ng aking ipinangako, walang sinuman na teacher ang magre-retire na Teacher I,” Marcos said during the mass oath-taking for newly-promoted teachers and school heads under the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) for the Bulacan and Pampanga clusters.
“Patuloy din nating pinalalawak ang oportunidad para sa promosyon ng mga guro sa pamamagitan ng pagbubukas ng mas maraming senior positions,” he later said.
He said that it was the government’s duty to stand by teachers and ensure their professions are made “more sustainable, more dignified, more rewarding.”
The President recalled that the government allotted over ₱1.34 trillion for the education sector in 2026, equivalent to more than four percent of the country’s economy. He also said they ensured the distribution of the Service Recognition Incentive for the previous year and, beginning in 2025, the grant of the ₱10,000 teaching allowance and ₱7,000 medical allowance. In addition, they added ₱7.37 billion for qualified teacher’s benefits.
Marcos acknowledged teachers’ everyday sacrifices, such as rising early to commute a long way, and in school, spending the entire day attending to their students. Once home, they have to check schoolwork and prepare for the next day, he said.
He added that they were also called to the polls during elections and to their communities for the census, and so on. With all the responsibilities they must carry out, many have lost hope for promotion.
“Hindi ako papayag na hindi masuklian ang inyong sakripisyo,” he addressed all teachers.
“I have always believed that the true measure of a nation’s progress is the kind of future that we prepare for our youth. Policies and programs set the direction, but it is through you—our teachers—that these aspirations take root and grow,” Marcos recognized, adding that technology will never be able to replace the love, empathy, and care extended by teachers.
“You are the ones who teach them the lessons for work and for life: how to care for others, how to be responsible, how to stand with integrity. These are the foundations of a strong society, and they are built day to day in your classrooms,” he went on.
The event took place in the CSJDM Sports Complex in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. The mass oath-taking ceremony under the ECP is the third since the program’s roll-out, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
