‘I had to use the rest of my salary to buy materials, teaching aids…’ – Newly promoted Kalinga Teacher shares sacrifices in serving learners

When passion and mission combine, no mountain is unconquerable in the pursuit of delivering quality education — not even the need to spend one’s hard-earned salary to make it possible.

This was the message shared by Randy Wacas, an educator from Rizal and one of the 761 teachers in Kalinga who were reclassified through the Expanded Career Progression System on January 7, 2025.

Recounting his experiences during the mass oath-taking ceremony at the Tabuk City Gymnasium, Wacas, who was promoted to Teacher VII after more than two decades in the teaching profession, shared a reality many teachers can relate to — going beyond their means to provide learners with a meaningful and holistic learning experience.

Wacas cited the challenges he faced when he first started teaching, one of which was using his own salary to purchase teaching materials due to the absence of Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) at the time.

“Teaching has always been more than a profession for me — it is a mission. When I first entered the classroom, I faced many challenges: learners with diverse abilities, limited resources, and pressure to meet academic standards. I remember times when I had to use what remained of my salary to buy teaching materials. There was no MOOE and no other resources,” he said.

He also shared that he had to be away from his family for five years, seeing them only on weekends, as he was assigned in Tanudan. He admitted that being separated from his loved ones for most of the time was difficult, to the point that he even prayed not to be promoted as long as he could be reassigned to his hometown. When he was finally assigned home-based, he said that was when he focused on climbing the career ladder.

All these challenges, he said, were endured because of his passion for teaching and his mission to nurture the next generation to reach their fullest potential.

“Despite these challenges, I remained committed to one goal — to make learning meaningful and accessible to every iKalinga learner,” he stressed.

Wacas concluded his message by acknowledging the Department of Education officials and the Expanded Career Progression System for providing educators with clearer and merit-based career advancement opportunities. He assured them that teachers will continue to uphold the mission and vision of DepEd in delivering quality education to all learners.