Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the largest mass promotion ceremony under the Expanded Career Progression system to date, conferring new ranks on 8,009 public school teachers and school heads from Western Visayas at Villareal Stadium in Roxas City, Capiz, on April 25.
The ceremony marked a major milestone for a merit-based framework designed to address decades of career stagnation in the country’s public education system. The Department of Education has set a target of 100,000 promotions under the ECP within 2026.
Among the 8,009 promotees, 57 of the longest-serving recipients logged between 35 and 42 years of service, including two who broke long-standing Teacher I designations. The volume and profile of the promotees underscored the backlog the program is working to clear.
Angara administered the oath and addressed the crowd in Filipino, emphasizing continued commitment to the program. “Tinitiyak natin na wala nang guro ang mapag-iiwanan,” Angara said, underscoring that teachers’ effort would be met with recognition under the ECP.
Promotee Jocelyn Galvez of Duran Elementary School in Dumalag, Capiz, rose from Teacher I to Teacher III after nearly 30 years of service. She described the promotion as the fulfillment of a long-held dream. “Now, I present myself not only as a teacher but as a testimony of hope,” Galvez declared, expressing confidence that no teacher would retire at the lowest rank under the new system.
Evelyn Molavin of Balcon Melliza Elementary School in Jordan, Guimaras, had remained at Teacher I for 14 years before her first promotion in 2022. At the Roxas City ceremony, she received a further promotion to Teacher VI.
“Hindi lang po ito basta promotion ito ay pagkilala sa aming sakripisyo at dedikasyon bilang mga guro,” Molavin said.
The ECP allows teachers to advance in salary and rank while remaining in classroom roles, marking a structural shift from a system that previously offered educators limited upward mobility.
