WITH LESS THAN 40% of board licensure examination for professional teachers (BLEPT) takers passing the test from 2010 to 2022, the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) urged the Marcos administration to strengthen BLEPT as a matter of national survival.
In a report which first came out on Bilyonaryo portal, PBEd cited urgency in reforming BLEPT to ensure that only the most qualified and best-prepared candidates for the profession gets to become a teacher.
PBEd Executive Director Hanibal Camua said that “teachers are at the heart of learning recovery but to empower them, we must start by ensuring that those who enter the profession are well-trained, well-supported, and rigorously screened. The BLEPT must be a fair, valid, and reliable measure of teacher readiness.”
BLEPT DEFICIENCIES
In the study “Fixing the Foundations: Strengthening the Teaching Workforce through the BLEPT” presented by the Second Congressional Commission on Education, PBEd noted critical deficiencies in how the licensure exam is currently designed and administered.
BLEPT is misaligned with the teacher education curriculum, and the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers. In addition, there is the shortage of board members preparing questions for eight degree programs and multiple specializations.
The Professional Regulation Commission, Commission on Higher Education, Teacher Education Council, and Department of Education must overhaul the BLEPT’s test development and administration process, “not by making it harder but by making it smarter and aligned with the current needs of the teachers and learners,” Camua said.
“We owe it to our aspiring teachers to give them an exam that truly reflects what good teaching looks like, and to our learners to ensure that those who pass are ready to teach effectively,” he added.
“Fixing teacher licensure is not just a technical issue but a matter of national survival. We can’t solve the learning crisis without first ensuring that every classroom is led by a competent, compassionate, and well-prepared teacher,” Camua further said.
EDCOM ASSESSMENT
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) recently found that the Philippines has the highest learning poverty rate in ASEAN at 90.9%.
The World Bank–UNESCO indicator measures the share of 10-year-olds unable to read and understand simple text.
EDCOM II also flagged gaps in the BLEPT’s design: misalignment with the teacher education curriculum and professional standards, only three board members creating questions for multiple degree programs, and a lack of pilot testing or item analysis to ensure validity and fairness.
PBEd recommended engaging subject-matter experts to craft and review test items, running pilot tests and psychometric analysis, and setting up a data system to track exam results. It also pushed for standardized testing protocols to ensure fairness across sites.
PRIORITIZE EDUCATION
Relatedly, President Marcos urged government agencies to prioritize education-related projects and initiatives, emphasizing that this is how Filipinos can truly experience the country’s progress.
In a speech during the Philippine Development Forum (PDF) 2025 in Mandaluyong City, the president highlighted the importance of placing quality education at the center of each agency’s agenda.
“We have achieved significant milestones in improving our country’s education system, but of course, we recognize that we still have a long way to go,” the President noted.
“The goal is clear: a Philippines where every child—regardless of background or circumstance—has access to quality, future-proof education,” he added.
ADEQUATE FUNDS
Marcos urged the Departments of Economy, Budget and Management, Finance, and all relevant government agencies to ensure that the administration’s top priorities—particularly education—receive adequate funding and support.
“To the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) and the DepEd (Department of Education), speed up the planning and implementation process so we can meet our target of building and rehabilitating thousands of classrooms by 2028,” he said. “And to the DEPDev, accelerate the review of PPP proposals for school buildings.”
“No child should be forced to learn in makeshift spaces, and no teacher should be burdened by a system that does not support them,” he added.