President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. witnessed on Thursday the signing of a historic Joint Memorandum Circular aligning the Board Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (BLEPT) with the Teacher Education Curriculum of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to improve education quality.
“The landmark reform embodies our commitment to ensuring that every Filipino teacher is equipped with the skills and tools needed to teach with depth, with clarity, and with purpose. It is a vital step towards raising the quality of education for our present and, most importantly, our future generations,” President Marcos said during the ceremonial signing of the JMC in Malacañan Palace.
The JMC was signed by CHED Chairman Prospero de Vera with Charito Zamora, Chairperson of the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).
The JMC is a collaborative effort between the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and CHED to ensure the licensure examinations reflect the actual competencies needed in the present-day classrooms, ranging from early childhood and special needs education to high school-level subject specializations.
The President said one of the reform’s key features is “differentiation,” which means “licensure examinations for aspiring teachers will be conducted separately depending upon the field that they are practicing.”
Elementary education specializations now include Early Childhood Education and Special Needs Education, in line with Republic Act No. 11650 mandating support for children with disabilities.
“Sa pagbabagong ating ipapatupad, mas maiaangkop natin ang edukasyon sa pangangailangan ng bawat mag-aaral, lalo na sa mga mayroong tinatawag na special needs… Because real progress means leaving no one behind,” the President said.
For secondary education, the specializations include English; Filipino; Mathematics; Science; Social Studies; Values Education; Technology and Livelihood Education; Technical-Vocational Teacher Education; Physical Education; and Culture and Arts Education.
The President said the revised structure of the BLEPT will now also consist of three core components, such as professional education, general education, and the examinee’s chosen field of specialization.
He said the reform will address the gaps in the Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994. He acknowledged the low passing rates, with only 36.33 percent for elementary level and 43.57 percent for secondary level from 2014 to 2024.
“Through this Joint Circular, we are making that process more than just relevant, more responsive to every single examinee,” he said.
The President said the JMC will give education graduates a good chance, “because what they learn should prepare them for the test that they are meant to take and the classrooms they are meant to lead.”
He said the reform will be gradually implemented starting September 2025 to give educational institutions and teachers ample time to prepare.
“While we await the full passage of the amendatory law, we will continue to build on this system that produces better teachers—well-equipped to teach, and in doing so, uplift countless generations of Filipino learners,” the President said. | PND
