Sec. Angara, Rep. Sandro Marcos lead teachers’ oath in Laoag as DepEd eyes 100k career upgrades by 2026

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LAOAG CITY, ILOCOS NORTE, 23 January 2026 — As part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s education agenda, Education Secretary Sonny Angara and House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos on Friday led the mass oath-taking of 789 public school teachers in the province whose careers were upgraded under the Department of Education’s Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system, as the agency eyes to deliver up to 100,000 teacher career upgrades nationwide by 2026.

The mass oath-taking was conducted alongside the administration’s Programa para sa Buti ng Bayan at Mamamayan: Galing, Akses, Batid at Angat Tungo sa Yaman ng Bayan” or the PBBM-GABAY ng Bayan—an integrated set of initiatives jointly implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

“Let us build a Bagong Pilipinas where education is a sturdy foundation for stronger families, a more capable workforce, and a more progressive nation,” the President’s message said.

Of the newly promoted teachers, many had waited years—some decades—for advancement due to limited plantilla items and a promotion system dependent on natural vacancies. More than 2,000 additional teachers in Ilocos are also currently undergoing processing for promotion under the ECP, with their reclassification documents already submitted.


Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the reform champions teachers’ welfare and professional growth, aligned with the principles of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers while strengthening instructional quality by keeping experienced educators where they matter most—inside classrooms.

“Hindi na kailangang umalis sa silid-aralan para umangat. Sa ilalim ng ECP, kinikilala natin ang husay sa pagtuturo at binibigyan ito ng malinaw na landas,” Angara said.

Angara said the reform is meant to recognize teachers who have spent years refining their craft in the classroom, citing educators like Teacher Lilliane Z. Tarriga of Filipino East Elementary School, who was promoted to Teacher IV after serving as Teacher I for 37 years.

“Para sa atin ito. Para sa lahat ng guro na nagbuhos ng oras at sakripisyo sa serbisyo. Yung statement na walang teacher ang magre-retire na Teacher I, sabi ni PBBM, yun talaga ang nag-motivate sa akin. Salamat talaga kay President Bongbong at kay DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara,” Teacher Lilliane said.



As the administration moves to synchronize reforms across basic, higher, and technical education, the ceremony stood as both a culmination and a signal that education reform is now being executed across institutions, ranks, and regions.

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