Hard Work Pays Off: More Than 1,000 Ifugao teachers and school heads earn promotions

Lagawe, Ifugao – The hard work and sacrifices of more than a thousand teaching personnel in Ifugao province have paid off as they were recently promoted through the Expanded Career Progression System (ECPS) of the Department of Education (DepEd), under the leadership of Secretary Sonny Angara.

Promotion under the ECPS, according to the DepEd, allows public school teachers to advance based on merit, performance, and competencies—not solely on seniority. The system opens new ranks such as Teacher IV to VII and Master Teacher V, and provides clearer pathways to school leadership positions, including Principal I to IV, with corresponding salary increases.

The initiative aims to address long-standing promotion delays and to recognize proven skills in teaching and leadership.

With a P1.015-trillion budget allocated to DepEd for 2026—the highest allocation in the national budget recently signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—the agency targets the promotion of around 100,000 public school teachers nationwide this year, in addition to the 16,025 teachers who were officially reclassified in December 2025.

In the Cordillera region, DepEd–CAR Regional Director Estela P. Leon-Cariño said during a recent engagement that at least 8,811 teaching personnel in the region were promoted through the ECPS.

“For the entire CAR, more or less 8,811 were promoted through the ECPS. After years of planning, you are the first to benefit from it,” Leon-Cariño said.

Of this number, 1,057 teachers and 32 school heads in Ifugao benefited from the ECPS and formally took their oath during a mass oath-taking ceremony held at the Ifugao State University (IFSU) Gymnasium in Lamut on January 5, according to DepEd Cordillera.

Leon-Cariño, who led the ceremony, emphasized that the promotions come with heightened responsibility and a renewed commitment to excellence in public service.