“We want to clearly identify the paths for our teachers. Improving morale not only comes in the form of remuneration and salary, but it also comes in the form of career progression, improvement in skills, improvement in their mobility in their careers. And hopefully we can also see teachers as leaders in the education system”. This is what EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Win Gatchalian said during his opening statement in a Senate hearing to discuss bills on the Expanded Career Progression System for Public School Teachers.
The Second Congressional Commission on Education, and the Department of Education (DepEd), along with other stakeholders are pushing for the institutionalization of the Teacher Career Progression System, aiming to address long-standing challenges in teacher promotion and career development.
On October 22, 2024 the Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation (Subcommittee on Career Progression System for Public School Teachers) joint with Basic Education and Finance held a public hearing to discuss bills filed by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Representative Yedda Romualdez, and EDCOM 2 Co-Chairpersons Senator Win Gatchalian and Rep. Roman Romulo, along with Commissioners Senator Loren Legarda and Rep. Jude Acidre.
Findings from EDCOM 2 reveal that the existing career progression system has been hampered by a shortage of available plantilla positions in schools and school division offices.
Despite many teachers and school leaders qualifying for Master Teacher roles, opportunities for promotion have been constrained by the limited number of these positions. This limitation has stunted professional growth and mobility for educators across the education sector.
A quota system, as stipulated under the Position Classification and Compensation Scheme (PCCS) (DBM Manual on PCCS, Chapter 6, 2004), further exacerbates the issue. For elementary schools, Master Teacher positions are capped at 10% of the total teacher positions, with 6.6% for Master Teacher I and 3.4% for Master Teacher II. Secondary schools face similar constraints, with one Master Teacher position allowed per subject area for every 5 to 7 authorized teacher positions (Teacher I–III).
“Data shows that it takes an average of 15 years for a teacher to progress from Teacher I (Salary Grade 11) to Teacher III (Salary Grade 13). With limited career advancement options, many teachers are forced to shift into administrative roles, such as head teachers, to secure higher pay,” said EDCOM 2 Chief Technical Officer Krupskaya Añonuevo in her presentation.
“Although we have the IRR of EO 174, gusto talaga natin ma-institutionalize ang Expanded Career Progression System. We want to send that strong signal to our classroom teachers that should they wish to stay in the classroom and i-master ang pagtuturo, they can do so, and they can certainly advance in doing so,” she added.
In July, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, a former EDCOM 2 Commissioner, signed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Executive Order 174, which established an expanded career progression system for public school teachers within the Department. Resource persons during the hearing pushed for greater institutionalization of the system by enacting it as a legislative measure. The House of Representatives has already passed on third reading House Bill 10270, and is now awaiting action on its counterpart measure in the Senate.
Teacher Education Council Executive Director Jennie Jocson also expressed her support for the said measure. “The bills that we are discussing are supporting RA 11713 (Excellence in Teacher Education Act) on the affirmation of career stages. The important part of the bills is the inclusion of the supervisor in the administration track which in the Council’s view is completing the cycle of our teachers and school leaders.”
DepEd Undersecretary Wilfredo Cabral noted that the Philippines is lagging behind in terms of career progression. “Based on our study as well, in the Philippines, we are the best in entry level salary grades but we are being left out by other countries in terms of progression. That affects the motivation and job satisfaction of teachers. So if this can happen now, we can change something for our teachers”, he said.
“The provisions that are stipulated in the proposed bills are consistent and aligned to what we are looking forward to in the next 10-15 years. This is the demand of the present time”, Cabral continued.
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