The Historical Development of Teaching as a Profession in the Philippines

Pre-colonial Period - In the absence of a formal education system, parents and tribal leaders taught
their children in their communities, such as the Babaylan. Community life matters were primarily passed
down orally from generation to generation.

Spanish Period - Formal education, which was mostly provided by religious groups, was introduced to
our nation by the Spaniards. Christianity, Spanish, and Spanish culture were all introduced as subjects.
Later, beginning in the 16th century, they started the first schools and universities. A free public
education system, including a school for boys and a school for girls, was made available by the
Educational Decree of 1863. They initiated the process of teacher preparation.

First Republic - After a brief closure, the Secretary of the Interior reopened the schools on August 29,
1898. There were three new universities founded: Literary University of the Philippines, Burgos Institute
(the country's first law school), and Academia Militar (the country's first military academy).

American Period – Seven schools are opened by Americans, with American soldiers serving as the first
teachers. The public school system was established by the Philippine Commission's Act 74 of 1901,
which also provided free primary education for Filipinos. The same law authorized the founding of
Philippine Normal School, which is now Philippine Normal University and serves as a facility for teacher
education.

Third Republic - In 1947, Department of Instruction was renamed Department of Education by Executive
Order No. 94 signed by President Manuel Roxas.

Fourth Republic - In accordance with Proclamation 1081, which Ferdinand Marcos enacted in the year
1927, the Department of Education became the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS).
Under Presidential Decree No. 1397, it later changed its name to the Ministry of Education, Culture, and
Sports in the year 1978.

Fifth Republic – Under Executive Order No. 117, the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports was
renamed DECS in 1987. For all aspects of elementary and secondary education, DECS remained in
charge. By virtue of Republic Act 9155, also known as the Governance of Basic Education Act, the DECS
was renamed to the current Department of Education in August 2001.

Recent Years – Benigno Aquino III, who was a senator at the time, expressed a wish to implement the K–
12 basic education cycle in 2010. The K-6-4-2 system, often known as the K-12 basic education system,
was officially adopted by the government of President Aquino after additional discussions and study.

REFLECTION

Are we aware of the distinction between teaching as a job and teaching as a mission above
anything else? When we refer to teaching as a job, we are referring to those who teach pupils for the
possible financial rewards. Teaching as a mission, on the other hand, refers to teaching pupils out of
intrinsic desire, such as wanting to make change for the benefit of your students. So, as I ask my
previous teachers, "Why did you choose to be a teacher?", let me make a distinction between how they
saw their profession.

According to what they said, as shown in the photos above, we may conclude that both of them
chose to become teachers out of a sense of mission rather than out of necessity. They exhibit a great
deal of love and dedication when they teach, inspiring other students to be the best versions of
themselves. This shows how enthusiastic they are about their profession. A teacher must influence each
student's life and guide them toward improvement in order to succeed in the classroom. And you must
be prepared to make sacrifices and put teaching on the top as your priority.

As they both explained the inspiration for their chosen careers, it impacted my heart and
motivated me to follow in their footsteps by choosing to become a teacher not for the money, but
because it is what my heart desires, and to leave a positive legacy for my future pupils. We may not be
able to foresee what will occur in the next few seconds, but I am committed to being a teacher; this may
be the career path that God has shown me and wants me to follow. I'm going to bring about a change,
and I'm confident in my decision.