Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the oath taking of 1,991 promoted and reclassified personnel from Bulacan and Pampanga at the San Jose del Monte City Sports Complex on Thursday, 19 Thursday.

The group included teachers promoted to higher ranks from Teacher II to Teacher VII, Master Teachers I to III, and school principals from Principal I to Principal IV.

The ceremony forms part of the nationwide implementation of Republic Act No. 12288, or the Career Progression for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act, signed by President Marcos in 2025. The law establishes a structured, competency-based system that allows educators to advance through either classroom teaching or school leadership tracks, with equivalent salaries and benefits.

The Bulacan and Pampanga cluster accounted for one of the largest groups of newly promoted personnel in recent months. Bulacan recorded 408 promotees, followed by Pampanga with 368, Mabalacat City with 301, Angeles City with 238, and the City of San Fernando with 233. Other school divisions included Meycauayan City with 128, San Jose del Monte City with 145, Malolos City with 90, and Baliwag with 80.

More than 16,000 teachers nationwide had already been promoted under the expanded career progression system, with 40,000 more applications under review.

The new system expands career ranks, including Teacher IV to VII and Master Teacher V, to address long-standing promotion bottlenecks and recognize teachers’ professional growth and years of service.

Angara noted the reform is designed to boost morale, retain experienced educators in classrooms, and strengthen instructional quality in public schools.

The oath-taking in Central Luzon follows similar ceremonies in other regions. In January, 789 teachers in the Ilocos Region were sworn into higher positions, while 2,915 personnel in the National Capital Region were promoted or reclassified under the same program and through regular promotion channels.

At the same time, DepEd continues to implement the YAKAP program, a comprehensive initiative focused on the welfare of teachers, personnel, and learners, which includes strengthened access to healthcare services in partnership with PhilHealth.