It will be the biggest addition to the teaching workforce under the current administration.
According to the Department of Education (DepEd), it is now preparing for the hiring of 32,916 teachers in 2026 after its proposed budget for new Teacher I items was approved under the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
The department said that it will be the biggest addition of teaching plantilla in a year, emphasizing that it is needed to address the burgeoning student population and instructional needs due to years that saw massive learning disruption.
“Sa bawat pagpunta namin sa mga paaralan, malinaw ang hinihingi. Bukod sa dagdag na kagamitan o pasilidad, kailangan ng dagdag na guro para hindi na sobra ang dami sa isang classroom,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara.
He added, the approval of the budget also symbolizes the trust and confidence that the Congress has on the budget of the education department and its reform plans.
Also included in the expansion program are 6,000 School Principal I at 10,000 School Counselor Associate I positions, which will address gaps in leadership and the immediate need to strengthen in-school guidance services in response to bullying.
11,268 Administrative Officer II (AO II) positions will also be added tk achieve 1:1 AO II ratio inn each school and 5,000 Project Development Officer I (PDO I) positions to support implementation of programs at the school level.
Meanwhile, DepEd is in the process of completing its hiring pipeline for FY 2025, where 20,000 new teaching positions and 33,052 unfilled items from the years prior are included.
These mass hirings also come as DepEd recently launched the Inclusive Employment Policy, updated guidelines on overtime at overload pay and workload rationalization to remove administrative work form teachers and let them focus on teaching.
Once the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) is approved, the budget is seen by DepEd to hep improve ofperations and frontline capacity of basic education in the country.
“Matagal nang hinihintay ng sektor ang ganitong laki ng pondo. Historic ang 2026 budget dahil unang pagkakataon na sabay-sabay nating natutugunan ang pangangailangan sa guro, suporta sa paaralan, at paghahanda sa bagong kurikulum,” added Angara.