President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday said reforms in the government’s teacher promotion system are addressing decades-long career bottlenecks in public schools, as he witnessed the mass oath-taking of 3,325 newly promoted teachers and school heads from 44 municipalities in Cebu province.

The ceremony at the International Eucharistic Congress Convention Center forms part of the Department of Education’s Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system, which aims to promote 100,000 teachers nationwide this year.

Marcos said the reform was introduced to correct longstanding issues in the education sector, where teachers often waited decades for career advancement.

“It took 10 to 20 years for a teacher to progress from Teacher I to Teacher III… and another equally lengthy period to move from Teacher III to Master Teacher I,” the President said.

Because of limited promotion opportunities for promotion, Marcos noted that some educators have shifted to administrative roles for higher pay or left the teaching profession entirely, worsening the country’s teacher shortage.

To address the problem, the government institutionalized the Expanded Career Progression system in September 2025 through the Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act, which created additional ranks and clearer advancement tracks.

Under the new system, teachers may now pursue two career pathways — classroom teaching or school administration — while new positions such as Teacher IV to VII, Master Teacher V to VI and School Principal V were introduced to expand opportunities for promotion.

Marcos said that from August 2025 to February 2026, nearly 19,500 teachers and school heads nationwide have already been promoted under the reform.

The President also cited other initiatives to support teachers’ welfare, including the creation of over 61,500 teaching positions from 2022 to 2025, with 97 percent already filled as of January 2026, as well as the hiring of additional non-teaching staff to reduce administrative workloads.

Marcos praised educators for their dedication, saying teachers remain among the hardest-working public servants in the country.

“For you, teaching is not just a job. It is a vocation, a sacred duty,” he said.

He urged the newly promoted teachers and school heads to continue guiding Filipino youth toward achieving their full potential and helping build a stronger education system. (PNA)