The national government has greenlit the creation of 32,916 new teaching positions for School Year 2026–2027, launching a major initiative to decongest public school classrooms and significantly reduce the heavy workloads of educators nationwide.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) confirmed in a statement that it has officially approved the Department of Education’s (DepEd) request to expand its workforce. The new teaching items will span all academic levels, covering Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High School, Senior High School, and the Alternative Learning System (ALS).
Education Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted that the massive deployment of new personnel is strategically aimed at closing persistent staffing shortages and optimizing the learner-to-teacher ratio across the country’s public school system.
“These additional items are meant to give our schools the structural support they need and allow teachers to focus more on instruction,” Angara said.
The Education Chief noted that this development directly fulfills the directives of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to prioritize the welfare of Filipino teachers and elevate the overall quality of national education.
Breakdown of Teaching Ranks
According to data provided by DepEd, the vast majority of the newly opened slots are entry-level positions, though specialized roles have also been introduced to bolster inclusive education:
- Teacher I: 32,047 positions
- Teacher IV (Special Needs Education – SNED): 500 positions
- Teacher III (Special Science Teachers): 369 positions
The inclusion of specialized tracks for SNED and Science educators underscores DepEd’s objective to strengthen institutional support for students requiring specialized and advanced instruction.
Regional Allocations and Priorities
The newly created items are set for nationwide distribution, with a heavy emphasis on areas facing critical instructional shortages.
Implementation and Career Growth
To expedite the deployment process, the DBM outlined that its regional offices will issue Notices of Organization, Staffing, and Compensation Actions (NOSCAs). For elementary, senior high school, and ALS positions, the NOSCAs will go straight to the respective Schools Division Offices. Meanwhile, junior high school items will see their NOSCAs directed straight to their respective implementing units.
DepEd emphasized that this aggressive recruitment drive coincides with its ongoing rollout of the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system. Established under Executive Order No. 174, s. 2022, the ECP is a merit-based framework ensuring that public school teachers can climb the institutional ladder and receive salary increases without having to leave classroom teaching for administrative roles.