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THE Department of Education (DepEd) lauded the bravery, commitment and civic spirit of public school teachers and personnel who served during the 2025 National and Local Elections.
Over 660,000 DepEd personnel were among the 758,549 poll workers deployed nationwide, helping ensure the safe, fair and orderly conduct of the elections in thousands of polling precincts across the country.
COMMITMENT TO SERVICE DepEd recognizes the service and dedication of public school teachers and personnel during the 2025 National and Local Elections. PHOTOS FROM DEPED
"Thank you to all teachers, poll workers and school staff who served and stayed vigilant throughout the election. From start to finish, you were there — committed and tireless," said Education Secretary Sonny Angara in Filipino.
Angara added, "We salute you. Because of you, the process was orderly and safe. You are true teammates in building a new Philippines — always ready, always for the nation."
The DepEd Election Task Force (ETF) operated a 24/7 command center in Makati City from May 11 to 13, coordinating real-time field reports and providing support to personnel on the ground. In total, the ETF received 603 election-related incidents.
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Most of the concerns were resolved at the regional and division ETF counterparts while some were endorsed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for appropriate action.
Most reports came from Region IX, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), and the National Capital Region. Common issues involved vote counting machine malfunctions, irregularities in ballots and receipts, and voter list concerns.
Despite these incidents, DepEd said the elections remained largely peaceful, echoing the overall assessment of the Comelec and other government agencies.
"In line with the assessment of the Comelec and other agencies, we can say that, overall, the elections were conducted smoothly," said Undersecretary Malcolm Garma, chairman of the DepEd ETF.
DepEd continues to underscore the critical role of teachers in upholding the democratic process and reaffirmed its commitment to support them every step of the way.
"These are not just public servants; they are frontliners of democracy," Secretary Angara said.
