25/09/2025
๐ง๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐โ ๐๐ฎ๐: ๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐จ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐บ ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ญ๐ข๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฃ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฆ๐ง๐ง๐บ ๐๐ธ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐ญ (๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฏ๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ)
The celebration of Teachersโ Day is not new to schools and universities. As students, we usually prepare for Teachersโ Day on September. We come up with creative ways like one time we pranked our teacher by pretending that two of our classmates are having a fist fight. When our teacher came running to our classroom, we surprised her with gifts, some food and our heartfelt greetings. Later, I found out that there are other Teachersโ Days aside from October 5. Talk about double celebrations! But which is which? Which date would be best for celebrating Teachersโ Day?
This leads to the question, why does the Philippines celebrate a lot of Teachersโ Days?
The International Teachersโ Day or commonly known as World Teachersโ Day, is held every October 5. The date was first set in 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to mark the signing of the landmark 1966 International Labor Organization/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. It established international standards for teachers' rights, working conditions, and professional obligations.
The legal and institutional background to the celebration is this international agreement, which emphasizes the importance of guaranteeing quality education by supporting and protecting teachers. The aim of World Teachers' Day is to pay tribute and recognize teachers worldwide, their contributions to society, and highlight the ongoing challenges they face in the profession. Since its inception, the day honors teachers globally and encourages governments and communities to invest in education by firmly supporting the teaching profession.
The Philippines is not exempt to the date. According to Republic Act No. 10743, the country also celebrates its National Teachersโ Day (NTD) on October 5 every year. The law advises the proper observance of the special working holiday. It directs all the heads of government agencies and instrumentalities such as government-owned and -controlled corporations, local government units and private sector employers, especially those who are in close contact with the teaching profession, to participate. They are required to provide their employees with adequate time and opportunity to participate in the events organized within their offices or establishments to celebrate the NTD.
But the country not only celebrates for one day. Former president Benigno S. Aquino III issued the Proclamation Order No. 242 s. 2011, which declares a month-long celebration called the National Teachersโ Month (NTM).
Proclaiming September 5 to October 5 as the NTM, recognizes the invaluable role of teachers in the development of a country, the service and dedication of teachers, and to put the Philippines at par with the celebration of World Teachers' Day every October 5. Besides that, it provides ample time to acknowledge the crucial role of teachers in nation-building, and grant time for communities and institutions to organize meaningful activities.
Moreover, the province of Benguet also proclaimed an order for another celebration. The province declared every last Friday of September as Benguet Teachersโ Day. Under the Proclamation Ordinance No. 15-170, authored by former Board Member Johnny D. Waguis, the proclamation covers the date as a special non-working holiday in honor of all kinds of educators in the province. This double celebration reflect how we value and see our educators that one day is not enough to celebrate and recognize them.
