DepEd promotes 16k public school teachers under expanded career progression system

The Department of Education (DepEd) has promoted more than 16,000 public school teachers under the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system in one of the government’s largest career advancement efforts for teachers so far.

In a statement, the DepEd said 16,025 teachers have been formally promoted, while appointments for an additional 41,183 teachers have been processed and transmitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for funding approval.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the ECP system is meant to address long-standing delays in teacher promotions, which used to come late in a teacher’s career or near retirement.

“Maraming guro ang matagal nang handang umangat. Ang responsibilidad namin ay alisin ang sagabal at tiyaking gumagalaw ang sistema para sa kanila,” Angara said, adding that teachers should experience career advancement while still in active service.

(Many teachers have long been ready to move up. Our responsibility is to remove the obstacles and ensure that the system works for them.) 

Under the ECP framework as provided for in Republic Act 12288 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in September, teachers may be reclassified or promoted by up to three salary grades, depending on qualifications and experience.

Out of the 41,183 teachers queued for promotion, 18,007 are set to receive the maximum three salary grade increase, while 29,017 will move up by one or two salary grades as DepEd continues to clear regional backlogs and process mobility applications.

Among those set for three-step advancements, 3,171 teachers will move from Teacher I to Teacher IV, 3,374 from Teacher II to Teacher V, and 11,462 from Teacher III to Teacher VI. DepEd also reported that 16,883 Teacher I positions are set to be reclassified to Teacher III.

The agency said all regions have reported processed appointments, indicating early nationwide uptake of the new career structure introduced during the Marcos administration.

One of the beneficiaries, Teacher Claire Eusebio of Magsaysay Elementary School in Tabuk City, Cordillera Administrative Region, was promoted from Teacher III to Teacher VI after more than two decades of service.

According to the DepEd statement, Eusebio said the promotion validated years of work spent teaching and mentoring learners.

To sustain the reform, DepEd said the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) will expand its training and leadership development programs, while teachers nearing retirement will be prioritized for reclassification or promotion.

The agency also acknowledged the role of Human Resource Management Officers, Teachers Credential Evaluators, and Human Resource Merit Promotion and Selection Board members in implementing the ECP system across school divisions and regional offices.

It assured that it is committed to strengthening the teaching workforce through merit- and competency-based career advancement, as part of broader efforts to improve teacher welfare and retention. — JMA, GMA Integrated News