The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said the new teaching items approved for public schools will help advance quality education in the Philippines.
This came after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved 32,916 new teaching positions for school year 2026-2027 in response to the DepEd’s request for a “substantial” workforce boost to improve the learner-to-teacher ratio.
In a statement, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said the workforce expansion will serve as a “structural solution” in public education.
“This is a critical step in giving our schools the structural support they need to deliver quality education,” he said.
“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.
Of the newly opened items, 32,047 are Teacher I positions; 369 Teacher III as Special Science Teacher I positions; and 500 Teacher IV positions for Special Needs Education (SNED).
Zamboanga Peninsula is set to receive the highest deployment allocation with 3,361 total items, which includes 1,467 Teacher I positions earmarked for the Division of Sulu to bridge critical instructional gaps.
Other regions receiving major item allocations include Central Luzon with 2,722 items; Calabarzon with 2,644 items; Central Visayas with 2,586 items; and Northern Mindanao with 2,541 items.
The DBM regional offices, meanwhile, will issue the corresponding Notice of Organization, Staffing, and Compensation Actions (NOSCAs) to Schools Division Offices for Elementary, Senior High School, and Alternative Learning System positions; while NOSCAs for JHS positions will be issued directly to specific implementing units.
The DepEd is also sustaining the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system to provide teachers and school administrators a clearer pathway for promotion either to higher teaching or leadership positions.
For 2026, the DepEd targets 100,000 teacher promotions under the ECP system. (PNA)
