Teacher who waited 14 years finally rises in rank under DepEd's ECP system
By Dhel Nazario
After 14 years of waiting for a career advancement, Evelyn Molavin is finally moving up the teaching ladder, an outcome she describes as more than just a promotion, but long-overdue recognition of years of service and sacrifice.
(DepEd photo)
“Malaki po ang naging epekto ng ECP sa buhay ko… Hindi lang po ito basta promotion– ito ay pagkilala sa aming sakripisyo at dedikasyon bilang mga guro,” Molavin said, who hails from Balcon Melliza Elementary School in Jordan, Guimaras.
Molavin is among thousands of public school educators who were formally promoted during a historic mass oath-taking ceremony on Friday led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara at the Villareal Stadium.
A total of 8,009 newly promoted teachers and school heads from Western Visayas took their oath, marking the largest mass promotion ceremony yet under the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system. Similar ceremonies were earlier held in Cebu, Davao, and Eastern Visayas.
The ECP system, implemented by the Department of Education (DepEd), provides a structured, merit-based pathway that allows teachers to advance in rank and salary without leaving the profession—addressing long-standing concerns over career stagnation in public education.
For Molavin, who was stuck at Teacher I for 14 years before eventually rising to Teacher III in 2022 and later advancing further under the new system, the reforms represent a shift in how educators’ service is recognized.
“Ang promosyon na ito ay higit pa sa isang posisyon, ito ay katuparan ng matagal ko nang pangarap,” she added.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the initiative aims to ensure that no teacher retires at entry-level rank, emphasizing that the government is working to remove bottlenecks in career advancement.
“Sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, tinitiyak natin na wala nang gurong mapag-iiwanan,” Angara said as he administered the oath.
President Marcos, who witnessed the ceremony alongside First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, earlier pledged that dedicated educators should no longer end their careers at the Teacher I rank.
DepEd is targeting up to 100,000 promotions under the ECP system within the year, as part of broader efforts to strengthen the teaching profession and improve long-term stability for public school educators and their families.