MANILA, Philippines -- Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said Wednesday the release of three teachers kidnapped six months ago was the "best gift" for the country's 500,000-plus public school teachers in time for the worldwide celebration of World Teachers Day on Oct. 5.

In a text message, Lapus also told the Inquirer "that day is meant to exalt and thank the teaching profession, as well as not harm these noble missionaries."

Citing the release of the three teachers at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday "along the coastline somewhere in Tumahubong, Basilan," Lapus said "the prayers of more than half a million Filipino teachers have been answered."

"We thank those who were instrumental for their release," he added.

Lapus, who has just returned from Paris where he attended a Unesco board meeting, had repeatedly appealed to the bandits to release the teachers without any conditions.

In July, he ffew to Zamboanga Sibugay to lead a DepEd-led multisectoral rally to press for the teachers' freedom.

The kidnap victims -- Jocelyn Enriquez, Jocelyn Inion and Noemi Mandi, all teachers of the Bangkaw-Bangkaw Elementary School in the coastal town of Naga -- were snatched by gunmen on March 13 while they were en route from Barangay Bangkaw-Bangkaw to the Naga town center aboard a motor boat.

The kidnappers initilally demanded a P10-million ransom for the release of the teachers.

The Inquirer learned about the teachers' release at 2:10 p.m. from text messages sent by top officials of the DepEd-Zamboanga Sibugay division office in Ipil, the provincial capital.

Last weekend, the kidnappers theatened to behead one of the teachers, prompting the Zamboanga Sibugay crisis management committee to hold an emergency meeting.

The panel, headed by Gov. George Hofer, had earlier stopped negotiating with the kidnappers, citing the government's no-ransom policy.

Contacted by phone, Rodelio Enriquez, husband of Jocelyn Enriquez, said he was "very, very happy about the development."

"Sir, I wish I could proceed to the military camp in Zamboanga City right now and meet my wife," Enriquez said in Filipino. He works as a driver for a fish processing plant in Ipil.

Meanwhile, DepEd sources in the Zamboanga Peninsula said they had no idea if ransom was paid in exchange for the teachers' release.

"As of yesterday, we're still negotiating with the kidnappers. They turned down our offer of P500,000 for the release of the teachers. We don't know who's responsible for their release today," one of the sources said.