More than 15,000 Filipino teachers took their turn in the spotlight during National Teachers’ Month 2026, as the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) and companies across the JG Summit ecosystem joined nationwide celebrations recognizing educators for their dedication to helping students learn and succeed.
Working alongside the Department of Education (DepEd), GBF participated in events held from September 5 to October 5 in Cagayan de Oro, Tacloban, and Quezon City. The foundation also joined a separate celebration in Laguna, bringing together teachers for a month of appreciation, entertainment, and special treats.
A Nationwide Show of Appreciation
The festivities began on September 5 at Limketkai Center in Cagayan de Oro City, where around 2,000 teachers gathered. Two weeks later, on September 19, approximately 3,500 educators attended the celebration at the Tacloban City Convention Center. DJs from Radio Mindanao Network hosted both events as part of RMN's collaboration with GBF.
On October 2, GBF participated in the National Teachers’ Month Coordinating Council's first localized celebration at Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna. Teachers from different school divisions across the province attended the event, where GBF distributed tokens of appreciation.
The celebrations culminated on October 5, National Teachers’ Day, when around 10,000 educators filled the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
At the three major events, teachers visited the GBF booth, received commemorative fans, and joined raffles. Around 45 teachers nationwide took home prizes ranging from gift certificates, health cards, and home items, to round-trip flights and hotel accommodations at destinations around the Philippines.
Supporting the celebrations were Cebu Pacific, Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, Robinsons Malls, Robinsons Movieworld, Go Rewards, GoTyme Bank, and Maxicare, which contributed prizes and other treats for the participating teachers. JG Summit and Universal Robina Corporation (URC) also launched an internal search for “teacher heroes” through a conglomerate-wide contest.
Supporting Teachers Beyond the Festivities
GBF's support for Filipino educators extends throughout the year through programs designed to help them develop their skills and improve classroom instruction.
Its TeachSTEM scholarship program helps aspiring educators prepare for careers in teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Meanwhile, STEM Collab connects teachers with subject experts through online learning sessions and encourages the exchange of ideas and teaching approaches among peers.
Teachers sign up for GBF Teacher Bestie at the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation booth during the National Teachers’ Month celebration. The online support channel connects educators with valuable teaching resources, professional development opportunities, and other initiatives designed to help them thrive in the classroom. IMAGE Gokongwei Brothers Foundation
Through Class Builder, GBF also provides teachers with DepEd-aligned lesson plans, instructional materials, and guidance on classroom strategies. These resources are designed to strengthen teaching skills while making lesson preparation and delivery easier.
Together, the programs address different needs among educators, from helping aspiring teachers enter the profession to giving practicing teachers opportunities to develop their expertise and access resources they can put to use in their classrooms.
For more information on the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation and its programs, visit gokongweibrothersfoundation.org
