By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
“I always say that teaching is not a job, teaching is a vocation.”
Through this sentence, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reaffirmed his support for educators by leading the ceremonial activation of the My Teacher Education Commons (MyTEC) portal on Wednesday.
This ceremony also coincides with the National Teachers’ Month 2026 Celebration, which honors the men and women who indoctrinate Filipino youth with the skills, knowledge, and wisdom to become future leaders.
The event also kicked off the launch of the first TEC awards, which recognize teachers who have shown exemplary performance in their profession and have brought about meaningful change in the academe.
In his speech, President Marcos Jr. assured the audience that the administration stands by teachers who continue to fulfill their duties in spite of various challenges.
“The least that we in government can do is to support you in that vocation—to make you more professional, to make you more knowledgeable, to keep you learning as well about the new techniques, the new ways and the new strategies through which we can teach our children, and to examine the Filipino context and to make sure that what we are doing to support the education system is appropriate to what we have—the conditions here in the Philippines.”
He also briefly touched on the Philippines’ improved PISA scores in 2025, which he touted as a remarkable milestone that can be traced back to sweeping reforms in the education system.
However, the President also acknowledged that more work still needs to be done to ensure that teachers are properly trained and compensated for their work.
This is where MyTEC comes into play, a web portal that would serve as the access point to learning resources, development materials, and other tools that will enable teachers to adopt new strategies and technologies in teaching the Filipino youth.
At this juncture, President Marcos Jr. expressed his heartfelt gratitude to educators, scholars, TEC awardees, and private sector partners for their indispensable contribution towards raising the bar of Philippine education.
The Chief Executive urged the teachers, “As we prepare our learners for the future, I implore you to help shape learners to become critical thinkers who question, discern, make sound decisions, and at the same time, remain compassionate and mindful of others.”
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