Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Rise in Service: Oath-Taking Ceremony of DEPED NCR Teachers and School Heads Under the Expanded Career Progression (ECP)

Maraming salamat sa ating DepEd Secretary, Secretary Sonny Angara.

Hindi ko po matanggal sa mukha ko ‘yung aking ngiti dahil matagal ko nang inaambisyon na gawin ito. Congratulations po sa inyong lahat. [applause]

Batiin ko lang po ang ating mayor ng City of Makati, Mayor Nancy Binay; siyempre ang pinakamahalaga na nandito ngayon, lahat kayo na bagong sumumpa, na promoted na mga teacher at saka school head ng DepEd; [applause] my fellow workers in government; ladies and gentlemen.

Isang magandang araw – napakagandang araw sa inyong lahat. [applause]

Today is a very meaningful day not only for our teachers but also for our entire country.

As you take your oath today, you are renewing the promise that you have made to our children and to our nation.

Because you carry a big responsibility every single day, inside the classrooms and always extending way beyond school hours.

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 saka mga assignments.

Kayo rin ang tumatayong pangalawang magulang para sa ating ng mga estudyante at gumagabay sa ating mga kabataan.

At kapag kailangan ng bayan, kayo ang nagbabantay sa presinto pa tuwing eleksyon at nagpupunta sa bawat bahay para sa mga census activities.

And for that, this nation is grateful to you all. [applause]

As your public servant, I believe that our fight to build a better government begins through education and through the people who mold the minds of our 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.

Sa bawat batang natututo ng tama at mali, sa bawat kaalaman na naibabahagi, dito nagsisimula ang pagbabago.

At kayo, ang ating mga guro, ang humuhubog nito.

While the family is our first school, the classroom is where the values are put into practice in a larger context.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have always known that teaching is not an easy profession. I am myself in my family surrounded by teachers. Ang lola ko po siya ang naging teacher pa ng tatay ko. Ang mother ko primary school teacher. Ang First Lady propesor din sa mga iba’t ibang law school.

And I know that it takes patience, sacrifice, and most of all courage.

Oftentimes, these principles are in short supply in the world we live [in] today. But we see them alive and burning in the hearts of all our teachers.

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

This is why this Administration has prioritized education in the national budget, allocating more than PhP1.34 trillion in the sector. [applause] That is the equivalent of four percent of our country’s economy. Higher than other countries who are also trying to develop their educational system.

We have ensured that the 2025 Service Recognition Incentive for teachers and non-teaching staff was released, with an additional PhP7.3 billion provided so that every eligible teacher receives this benefit in full. [applause]

We have released as well PhP10,000 for teaching allowance for School Year 2025 to 2026. We have published the guidelines on the grant of PhP7,000 medical allowance in 2025.

We are continuing the creation of additional teaching positions and the reduction of paperwork so that our teachers can focus on what they do best—teaching.

And, as I said in my third State of the Nation Address: no public school teacher should retire as Teacher I anymore. [applause]

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

Your promotion will be a doorway to a better life for you and your family. 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.

So as you take your oath today, whether as a teacher or as a school head, remember that every responsible citizen passed through your classroom and was shaped by your nurturing hands.

Teach our youth not only lessons from the pages of a book but lessons that shape lives: lessons of integrity, of responsibility, and for love of country.

Many things in this life may change, but the lessons and values that you impart remain long after we are all gone.

Mga minamahal kong mga guro, sa inyong mga kamay nakasalalay ang susunod na henerasyon ng Pilipino.

On behalf of the Filipino people, thank you for choosing to build a nation with us through this noble profession.

Congratulations to you all.

Maraming, maraming salamat!

Mabuhay ang ating mga guro!

Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas. [applause]

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