Marcos hails teachers, vows prioritization of education sector

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday recognized the hard work and sacrifices of teachers and vowed that education will remain a top priority of the government.

Speaking at the “RISE in Service” oath-taking ceremony under the Expanded Career Progression program in Makati City, Marcos acknowledged the vital role of teachers, both inside and outside the classroom, in shaping the Filipino youth.

“You carry a huge responsibility every single day, inside the classrooms and always extending way beyond school hours. Batid ko po ang bigat ng inyong tungkulin… And for that, this nation is grateful to you all,” he said.

“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,” the President added.

“Every child who learns right from wrong, every piece of knowledge that is shared, this is where change begins. And you, our teachers, are the ones who shape it,” the President added in Filipino.

Marcos emphasized that education remains the government’s main focus, with more than P1.34 trillion allocated to the sector for fiscal year 2026.

As mandated by the Constitution, the education sector should receive the highest allocation in the national budget.

“We have ensured that the 2025 Service Recognition Incentive for teachers and non-teaching staff was released, with an additional P7.3 billion provided so that every eligible teacher receives this benefit in full,” Marcos said.

“We have released as well P10,000 for teaching allowance for School Year 2025 to 2026. We have published the guidelines on the grant of P7,000 medical allowance in 2025,” he added.

Moreover, the President said that the government is continuously creating additional teaching positions and reducing administrative paperwork so that teachers can focus on their core responsibilities.

“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,” he said.

“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,” Marcos added. /gsg