NAGA CITY, Philippines — Teachers have raised their concerns about the fairness and standardization of the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system for teachers and school heads aiming to expedite promotions for public schools.

According to Bryan Cariaga, Chief of Curriculum Implementation at the Schools Division Office of Naga City (SDO Naga), the system’s reliance on performance ratings created doubts about fairness among teachers, as these ratings may not accurately reflect their true performance.

Cariaga also emphasized the limitations of the program that may influence perceptions of fairness.

Each teacher only gains 3 salary grades per promotion, meaning that if a teacher is currently a teacher I, their maximum is only at teacher IV.

To add, performance requirements remain strict, and only excellence and readiness will determine who moves up.

Teachers said this limitation influences the inequality of their career progression, especially because of the varying standards in performance evaluations.

Concerns were also raised about the program’s implementation and support that creates a huge impact in the system’s standardization.

Due to late issuance of implementing guidelines, teachers often feel unprepared because of the inconsistent and incomplete information and problems in interpretation.

The Philippine Professional Standard for Teachers (PPST) portfolio was also included as a major concern.

Teachers feel that this adds to their workload, and some even miss work just to prepare excessive paperwork.