MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved a total of 32,916 new teaching positions for the Department of Education (DepEd) for School Year 2026-2027, a move welcomed by Education Secretary Sonny Angara as a major boost to the country’s public school system.
According to Angara, the newly approved positions will be distributed across various education levels, including Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High School (JHS), Senior High School (SHS), and the Alternative Learning System (ALS).
The large-scale hiring initiative follows President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s directive to prioritize teachers’ welfare and improve the quality of basic education. DepEd formally requested the additional positions as a long-term solution to reduce class sizes and ease teachers’ workloads nationwide.
“Through the strong support of President Bongbong Marcos and the DBM under Acting Secretary Rolando Toledo, our request for these critical items has been granted, fundamentally expanding our teaching force so that our educators can focus on what they do best—nurturing the minds of our learners,” Angara said.
He described the move as a “critical step” in providing schools with the structural support needed to deliver quality education.
Of the newly created positions, 32,047 are for Teacher I, 369 for Teacher III or Special Science Teacher I, and 500 for Teacher IV positions dedicated to Special Needs Education (SNED) programs.
The Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX) received the highest allocation with 3,361 teaching items, including 1,467 Teacher I positions for the Division of Sulu to address teacher shortages in the area.
Other regions receiving significant allocations include Central Luzon (Region III) with 2,722 items, Calabarzon (Region IV-A) with 2,644, Central Visayas (Region VII) with 2,586, and Northern Mindanao (Region X) with 2,541.
Meanwhile, DepEd continues to implement the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system under Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022, which provides teachers and school leaders with clearer opportunities for professional growth, promotion, and salary advancement while remaining in classroom teaching roles.
— The Summit Express
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