President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked incoming Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara to prioritize the welfare of teachers so they can focus on teaching.

Marcos said this in an interview with reporters at the sidelines of the distribution of government assistance in Sulu on Friday, as the Chief Executive mentioned that teachers play an important role in the country's educational system.

“The key to any success in DepEd is the teachers. We have to take care of the teachers. Of course, the financial aspect to make sure they can feed their families is very important," Marcos said.

Marcos also underscored the importance of recognizing that teachers are not just educators but also individuals with families who need support.

According to the Chief Executive, the teachers sometimes cannot focus on teaching their learners if they are preoccupied with worries about their family’s well-being.

"We have to ensure that they’re in a good place so that the teachers can concentrate on actual teaching," Marcos said, adding that he wants to implement other plans for non-financial initiatives to improve the teaching profession.

Angara previously mentioned that he would review the proposal to raise the starting salary for public school teachers to P50,000.

As Marcos's choice to succeed Vice President Sara Duterte as Secretary of the Department of Education, Angara expressed his desire not just for improved working conditions for teachers, but also for better salaries and benefits.

In addition to a salary increase, Angara aims to enhance teachers’ working environments by minimizing their non-teaching responsibilities so they can focus on their core duties.

However, Marcos noted the need to continually retrain the teachers to keep up with the continuing advancement of technology.

Another significant focus of the President’s directives includes strengthening the DepEd feeding programs.

"One part of the non-financial aspect is retraining. The rapid development of technology means that within one or two years, skills can become obsolete," Marcos said.

“We need to beef up the feeding program because stunting remains a problem among our students. DepEd has so many aspects to it,” Marcos added.