October 5

National Teachers Day

How the National Teachers

Month (NTM) came about?
In 1993, UNESCO inaugurated October 5 as World Teachers Day, a day to honor teachers and to celebrate the
central role they play in guiding children, youth and adults through the lifelong learning process. Since then, over
100 countries observe World Teachers Day every year. In the U.S., there is even a Teacher Appreciation Week.

2008

In the Philippines, however, celebration of Teachers Day varies, with some schools observing it on different days
between September and October. In Filipino-Chinese schools for instance, the event is celebrated on September 28,
the birthday of the famous Chinese philosopher and teacher, Confucius, while Catholic schools such as the De La
Salle Philippines observe it every January 26th.
Here are the milestones of this month-long celebration honoring Filipino Teachers :

July

Realizing the need to encourage heightened

public participation, then De La Salle
University President and now Education
Secretary, Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC
approached Metrobank Foundation
President Aniceto Sobrepea to initiate the
idea of institutionalizing the celebration
of World Teachers Day on October 5
through a nationwide advocacy campaign.
Recognizing Metrobank Foundations
contribution in uplifting the image of the
teachers, this new endeavour is seen as an
opportunity for the public to pay tribute to
the countrys educators.
The Teachers Month Campaign (TMC) was
conceived in July 2008 by the Metrobank
Foundation, Inc. (MBFI), De La Salle
Philippines (DLSP), Philippine Business for
Education (PBEd), and Campaigns Social
Response (CSR), with the special participation
of the Department of Education (DepEd) and
the support of key business institutions and
major media partners

September 5

Soft-launch of the Teachers Month

Campaign during the MBTCs 46th
Anniversary highlighted by the awarding of
the 2008 Metrobank Foundation Search for
Outstanding Teachers

October 1-31

One-month Implementation of the Teachers

Month Campaign with the theme Teacher Ko,
Idol Ko! (My Teacher, My Idol!) Thanks Sir,
Thanks Maam

October 23

One Big Thank You to Our Teachers at the

SM Mall of Asia where approximately 300
students from 20 schools put up the largest
banner of greetings for teachers dubbed
Thank you Teacher

2009

February 18

Formation of the TMC Council of Leaders

chaired by Mr. Washington Sycip, Founder
of the SGV Group

Approval of the TMC logo

February 18

September 4

The Teachers Month Campaign was

relaunched in 2009 with the theme My
Teacher, My Hero during Metrobanks 47th
Anniversary celebration highlighted by the
awarding of the Metrobank Foundation
Search for Outstanding Teachers (SOT)
The TMC kicked off on September 4 and
culminated on October 5 as World Teachers
Day

2010

October 5

A Prayer for Teachers was formulated

and recited nationwide on 10:05 A.M. on
October 5
President Benigno S. Aquino III issued
Presidential Proclamation No. 41 declaring
the 1st Friday of September to October 5,
2010 as National Teachers Month.
The culminating activity was held at the
PhilSports Arena with President Aquino
leading the celebration

December

The Metrobank Foundation and the TMC

Steering Committee received a Merit
Award in the 2010 Philippine Quill Awards
(International Association of Business
Communicators - IABC)
for the 2009 TMC

2011

The 2010 TMC bagged the Grand Anvil

from the Public Relations Society of the
Philippines during the 46th Anvil Awards
Gabi ng Parangal

August 24

President Benigno S. Aquino III issued

Presidential Proclamation No. 242 declaring
the period of September 5 to October 5 of every
year as National Teachers Month.

October 5

The culminating activity was held at the

PhilSports Arena with Vice-President
Jejomar Binay leading the celebration

2012
July 16

Organizational meeting of the National

Teachers Month Coordinating Council

September 5

The 2012 TMC was launched during

Metrobanks 50th anniversary celebrations
on September 5, 2012 highlighted by the
awarding of the 2012 Metrobank Foundation
Outstanding Filipinos

October 5

2012 NTM Culminating activity in Cagayan

de Oro City Mr. Sobrepea invited to speak
during World Teachers Day celebration at
UNESCO Paris

Our efforts to recognize our dear teachers are reaping fruits of success. Today as we
celebrate another year in recognizing the significant role of our teachers, we once again
wholeheartedly thank our teachers who play significant roles in our lives as individuals
and as a nation.

ANICETO M. SOBREPEA

President, Metrobank Foundation, Inc.

Co-Chair, National Teachers Month Coordinating Council
Mr. Aniceto M. Sobrepea has served more
than 22 years of dedicated public service
marked with the distinction of acquiring the
highest rank in the Career Executive Service
Officers (CESO) Corps in the Philippine
bureaucracy. He served as Cabinet Secretary
and Head of the Presidential Management Staff
in Malacaang under former President Corazon
Aquino and as Deputy Director-General of the
countrys highest socio-economic planning
body, the National Economic and Development
Authority, under former President Fidel V.
Ramos, prior to retirement.
After distinguishing himself in development
management, international diplomacy, project
development, development planning, and
organizational development, he has embarked
on a second career with the private sector in
1995 and was elected as Executive Director and
later as President of the Metrobank Foundation,
Inc., the corporate social responsibility (CSR)
arm of the Metrobank Group, one of the largest

financial conglomerates in the Philippines.

Since assuming a new professional challenge in
the private sector, Mr. Sobrepea has expertly
steered the Metrobank Foundation into new
and greater heights of institutional achievements
in the social development arena. Considered a
CSR icon in the country, he became President
of the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF)
from 1999-2000. He also serves in a concurrent
capacity as President of the Manila Doctors
Hospital and as Vice-Chairman of its affiliate
educational institution, the Manila Tytana
Colleges.
Since 2008, he spearheads together with
the incumbent Education Secretary of the
Philippine Government the National Teachers
Month celebration in the country from
September 5 to October 5, which is World
Teachers Day, as declared by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO).

Teachers Month Campaign was a very simple idea, a dream and a hope that the
Philippines will be more attuned to the plight of teachers. The basic principle is to have
a real and long term transformation of a nation which will come about because we have
teachers, who serve as the foundation of the countrys future as they nurture the minds
and hearts of our youth.

ARMIN A. LUISTRO FSC

Secretary, Department of Education of the Philippines

Co-Chair, National Teachers Month Coordinating Council
Born in Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines,
he finished his elementary and high school
education at De La Salle Lipa, and earned his
Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and
Letters at De La Salle University, Manila. In
this same university, he earned his Masters
Degree in Religious Education and Values
Education. His Doctor of Educational
Management degree was completed at the
University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City. He
was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in
Humane Letters (honoris causa) by La Salle
University in Philadelphia, USA. A truegreen La Salle boy, he has now pledged to see
to the education concerns of every Filipino
child of every school, color and affiliation.
Br. Armin served various other nonLa Salle institutions as Board trustee,

chairperson, or director, such as the

Catholic Education Association of the
Philippines (CEAP), the Asian Institute of
Management (AIM), the ASEAN University
Network (AUN), Assumption College, the
International Association of University
Presidents (IAUP), the Association of
Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher
Learning (ASAIHL), and the SIDHAY
Foundation for street children, to name a
few of his many involvements. He has given
countless speeches on education, university
development, stewardship, responding to
national crises, and networking, among
others. Recently, he was awarded as an
Outstanding Manilan for Advocacy on
Social Consciousness by the City of Manila,
Philippines.

How one nation honors its Teachers

The Celebration of National Teachers Month kicks off on September 5 with the conferment of awards to the
Metrobank Foundation Search for Outstanding Teachers. The grand event is followed by series of activities honoring all
teachers in the Philippines which then culminates on October 5, World Teachers Day.

President Aquino delivers his message during the World

Teachers Day in 2010

Dr. Teodora Conde , one of the 2011

Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Teachers
proudly displays all the cards she received from
her students

Teachers receive donation of computers from

the Metrobank Purple Hearts Club members

Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Teachers receive recognition from various sectors led
by young students during the launch of the 2012 NTM

7,000 Teachers attended the World Teachers Day

held at the Philippine Sports Arena

Community Walk for Teachers

Teachers attend the MADE Art Workshops

Students display the longest Thank you, Teacher!

streamer

The Results of the

Teachers Month
Campaign
What started as a simple idea in 2008 spread like wild fire.
With more relevant groups/institutions, employees, students,
professionals, and individuals, even through social networking
sites joining the bandwagon, the 2010 Campaign became a huge
success.

A PRAYER FOR TEACHERS

Giver of All Wisdom
and Greatest of all Teachers,
Look upon our teachers with love
Grant them the resolve
To nurture our eager minds
And to never give up on us
who fall behind
Bless their hearts
For they rejoice when we succeed
And encourage us when we fail
Endow them with gentle patience
For the path of learning is never easy
Kindle a spirit of passion in them
It is the flame that ignites
the love of learning in us

Help them see the potential in each student

Their belief in us means much more than
the grade we make
Instill in them a commitment
to keep on learning
It shows us to not fear new knowledge
and experiences
Inspire them to touch the future
They influence how big a dream
we dream for ourselves
Bless our teachers who have come before
for their work endures to this day
Let the light of Your example shine
upon all teachers:
To build up with their words
To love with their mind
To share with their heart
Amen.
*Adapted under Presidential Proclamation 242

Generally, the campaign was able to influence wider sectors of

society and expanded its reach to cover more areas nationwide.
The success of the 2010 Teachers Month Campaign is
characterized by the following indicators:
1. Support from the Highest Official of the Land
2. Wider coverage and involvement of more institutional partners,
both in the government and in the private sectors, and individuals
to the Campaign through various TMC-related activities
a) Business and Commercial Establishments:

Participating
Establishments

from

b) Corporate Foundations
c) Government Institutions
d) Academic Institutions
e) NGO/Business Organizations/Professional Associations
Cultural Agencies/Performing Arts
3. Increased media mileage in
Print , Broadcast , Social Networking and On-Line Pick-ups
4. More enhanced appreciation on the value of teachers as heroes
and on the nobility of the teaching profession
5. Heightened awareness on and concern for the plight of teachers
6. Gaining of international recognition and support
7. Adoption of the TMC logo and theme
8. Overwhelming support for the Prayer for Teachers
With all these nationwide expression of gratitude and great
importance placed on our teachers, it is believed that they become
more motivated to practice their craft in a more professional way,
with renewed dedication and with a high degree of responsibility
because after all, on their hands fall the task of molding the future
generations of Filipinos.

17 participating establishments in 2008, participants grew to 46 in 2012

86 institutions and establishments

have participated in the Teachers Month

Campaign and National Teachers Month since 2008

22 business establishments nationwide have participated in TMC/NTM:

AYALA MALLS ABIVA PUBLISHING HOUSE INC. ANVIL PUBLISHING,

INC. DUSIT THANI HOTEL FEDERAL LAND FESTIVAL SUPERMALLS
FIRST METRO ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC. (FAMI) GLOBE TELECOM,
INC. JOLLIBEE / JOLLIBEE FOUNDATION, INC. MCDONALDS
MICRO-D INTERNATIONAL INC. MICROTEL INNS & SUITES (PILIPINAS),
INC . MYSOLID TECHNOLOGIES AND DEVICES, INC. NATIONAL
BOOKSTORE NOVARE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. PAPEMELROTI
REYES HAIRCUTTERS SM SUPERMALLS SMART COMMUNICATIONS,
INC. VICTORY LINER. VIBAL PUBLISHING INC. YO CARDS

* Samples of Promotions targeted to Teachers

October 5

National Teachers Day

National Teachers Month List of Partners over the Years

Ayala Foundation
Bato-Balani Foundation
Campaigns and Grey
Campaigns Social Response
Coalition for Better Education
Commission on Higher Education
Cultural Center of the Philippines
Department of Education
Department of the Interior
and Local Government (DILG)
Eggie Apostol Foundation
Filinvest/Festival Supermall
Girl Scouts of the Philippines
Global City Innovative College
Globe Telecom, Inc.
GMA Network Inc.
Jollibee Foundation
Knowledge Channel Foundation
League of Corporate Foundations

The National Teachers

Month Coordinating
Council and various
partners and supporters
of NTM is composed
of institutions,
organizations and
establishments spanning
different sectors,
who are advocates of
quality education and
teachers welfare and
development.

Manila Bulletin
Manila Doctors Hospital
Manila Tytana Colleges
Metrobank Foundation, Inc.
Museo Pambata
One Meralco Foundation
Philippine Business for Education (PBED)
Philippine Daily Inquirer
PLDT & Smart Communications Inc.
PLDT-Smart Foundation Inc.
SGV & Co.
SM Supermalls
St. Dominic College of Asia
Synergeia Foundation
TAYO Foundation
TESDA
The Philippine Star
UCPB-CIIF Foundation
UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines

Established on January 8, 1979 by

George S. K. Ty,sixteen (16) years after
he founded the Metropolitan Bank & Trust
Company, the Metrobank Foundation is
engaged in social development projects in
thePhilippinesand other parts ofAsia. As
the corporate social responsibility arm of the Metrobank
Group, the Foundation implements various programs in
education, visual arts and healthcare. It also maintains an
active and dynamic partnership with other organizations that
likewise provide services for the disadvantaged. Among the
Foundations flagship programs are the Metrobank Art and
Design Excellence (MADE), Search for Outstanding Teachers
(SOT), College Scholarship Program (CSP), Metrobank-MTAPDepEd Math Challenge (MMC), The Outstanding Philippine
Soldiers (TOPS), and Countrys Outstanding Policemen in
Service (COPS). It also supports programs aimed at educating

the citizenry on public-interest issues through research and

lectures given by the distinguished holders of the Metrobank
Foundation Professorial Lecture established by the Foundation
in partnership with reputable educational institutions.
For 33 years now, the Metrobank Foundation has been at the
forefront of celebrating excellence in the teaching profession in
the country by recognizing outstanding Filipino educators in the
elementary, secondary, and tertiary levels. The Teachers Month
Campaign presents the Metrobank Foundation an opportunity
to pay tribute and affirm more teachers across the country and
abroad for their role in shaping the minds and character of
the youth. Likewise, it serves as a venue for the Foundation to
engage its network of partners in yet another worthy endeavor
and become agents of positive change.
www.mbfoundation.org.ph

For inquiries, please contact

The NTM Secrerariat c/o Metrobank Foundation, Inc.
4/F, Executive Offices, Metrobank Plaza, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, 1200, Philippines
Telefax : (632) 818-5656 / (632)750-0837
Telephone : (632) 857-0618
ntmsecretariat@yahoo.com