The Department of Education and the Department of Budget and Management have approved 32,916 new teaching positions for the Philippines’ public schools in 2026–2027, with a focus on reducing overcrowded classrooms, prioritizing regions like Zamboanga Peninsula and Central Luzon, and strengthening career pathways via the Expanded Career Progression system.
The Philippines is taking a major step toward strengthening its public education system with the approval of 32,916 new teaching positions for the school year 2026–2027, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced. The move is designed to improve the learner‑to‑teacher ratio, address instructional gaps, and deliver more equitable access to quality education across the country.
The new teaching items were green‑lighted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in response to DepEd’s request for a “substantial” expansion of its teaching workforce. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara described the expansion as a “structural solution” aimed at giving schools the personnel support they need to sustain better learning outcomes.
“This is a critical step in giving our schools the structural support they need to deliver quality education”, Angara 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”.
Composition of new teaching positions
The approved positions are distributed across various levels and specializations:
- 32,047 Teacher I roles – the core instructional positions in public schools
- 369 Teacher III positions designated as Special Science Teacher I roles
- 500 Teacher IV positions for Special Needs Education (SNED)
This mix ensures that the hiring drive not only increases teacher numbers but also strengthens specialized teaching in science education and inclusive learning for children with disabilities.
Regional deployment and priority areas
The rollout will be regionally targeted, with Zamboanga Peninsula receiving the largest allocation at 3,361 items. Of these, 1,467 Teacher I positions are earmarked for the Division of Sulu to bridge critical instructional gaps in remote and underserved communities.
Other regions with major allocations include:
- Central Luzon – 2,722 items
- Calabarzon – 2,644 items
- Central Visayas – 2,586 items
- Northern Mindanao – 2,541 items
These clusters cover some of the country’s most populous and education‑demanding provinces, where growing student populations and expanding senior high school and alternative learning programs have intensified the need for more teachers.
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How the new positions will be implemented
The DBM regional offices will issue the Notice of Organization, Staffing, and Compensation Actions (NOSCAs) for Elementary, Senior High School, and Alternative Learning System teaching positions to the respective Schools Division Offices (SDOs). For Junior High School (JHS) items, the NOSCAs will be sent directly to designated implementing units.
This decentralized yet structured approach ensures that hiring and deployment are aligned with local needs, while still adhering to national budget and staffing guidelines.
Strengthening teacher career pathways
Beyond hiring more teachers, DepEd is also reinforcing its Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system to provide a clearer route for career advancement. The ECP allows teachers and school administrators to progress into higher teaching ranks or leadership roles, such as department heads, assistant principals, or school heads, based on performance, merit, and service.
For 2026 alone, DepEd is targeting 100,000 teacher promotions under the ECP framework, signaling a concerted effort to retain talent, improve morale, and professionalize the teaching workforce
