The purpose of this study was to identify the role of effective teaching in mediating the relationship between student engagement and motivation in learning. A descriptive correlational survey was employed in this non-experimental quantitative design. Using stratified random sampling, it was conducted in a private junior high school in Davao City with 321 participants, ranging from students in grades 7 to 10. To ensure the credibility of the research findings, the researcher employed validly modified questionnaires. This study revealed that the pupils were highly motivated to learn, which was conclusive. It was also shown that students frequently engage in a variety of high-level interactions. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of Filipino teachers’ instruction is at an extremely high level. Meanwhile, there is a very high level of effective teaching of the Filipino subject by the teachers in this school. In this regard, the variables in this study show a significant correlation. Thus, it was found that there is a partial mediation of the mediating effect of effective teaching on students’ learning motivation and engagement as a result of the significant correlation of each measure.