Seventy-five teachers and school heads from the Department of Education's Bislig City Division were promoted this year under DepEd's Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system, making them part of the first big batch of reclassified educators in Caraga.
They were among 1,559 promoted teachers and school heads from the region's seven DepEd divisions who took their oath before Education Secretary Sonny Angara on May 24, 2026, at the Agusan Valley Convention Center in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, according to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA). The ceremony was held on the same day the 2026 Palarong Pambansa opened in Agusan del Sur.
A Tabon teacher's 17-year wait
PIA singled out one Bislig teacher in its report. Fe Bandola Penales, a mathematics teacher at Tabon National High School, had spent 39 years in public service and 17 of them in the Teacher III position. Under the ECP, she was promoted to Teacher VI.
"This promotion is truly a form of professional development for me and a big financial help for my family. I remain committed to serving with dedication and excellence," Penales told PIA Caraga.
How the region's numbers broke down
According to PIA, the 1,559 promoted personnel came from these divisions:
- Agusan del Sur: 600
- Surigao del Sur: 488
- Dinagat Islands: 126
- Siargao: 108
- Bayugan City: 104
- Bislig City: 75
- Tandag City: 58
The ceremony also recognized 23 of the region's longest-serving educators, and 91 teachers nearing retirement who finally moved up after staying in Teacher I positions for many years.
What the Expanded Career Progression system is
The ECP was established by Executive Order No. 174, signed on June 23, 2022. Before it, a classroom teacher's ranks stopped at Teacher III, and the main way to move higher was to become a Master Teacher or shift into school administration, usually only when a position opened up.
The order added new ranks. It directed the Department of Budget and Management to create the positions of Teacher IV, Teacher V, Teacher VI, Teacher VII and Master Teacher V. It also set out two career lines once a teacher qualifies as Master Teacher I: a classroom teaching line (Master Teacher I to V) and a school administration line (School Principal I to IV).
The key change, as PIA described it, is that teachers and school heads can now advance in rank and salary without waiting for a vacant plantilla position. DepEd released its implementing guidelines through DepEd Order No. 24, series of 2025.
At the ceremony, Angara said the program is part of the government's commitment that no public school teacher should retire in the entry-level Teacher I position. "This promotion is not a simple administrative action. This is about dignity," he said, as quoted by PIA.
What Bislig teachers should do
The May oath-taking was described as the first batch. Teachers in the Bislig City Division who think they qualify for reclassification should check with their school head and the Schools Division Office's personnel unit on the requirements, the documents needed, and the schedule for the next round of evaluations. Qualification standards are set by DepEd and the Civil Service Commission, so the division office is the right place to confirm where you stand.
Sources: Philippine Information Agency report by Nora L. Molde, published May 26, 2026; Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022.