Closing the Gap: 20,000 New Teaching Positions to Supercharge Philippine Education in 2025

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PASIG CITY, June 25, 2025 — In a sweeping move to combat teacher shortages and elevate the quality of Philippine education, the Department of Education (DepEd) has secured the green light for 20,000 new teaching positions—a monumental push toward achieving President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s vision of a more inclusive, well-resourced, and learner-centered education system.

This major breakthrough, approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), is more than just a numbers game. It's a lifeline for thousands of schools long burdened by understaffing, and a beacon of hope for millions of students yearning for quality instruction across the archipelago.

“Sa 20,000 bagong teaching items, may 20,000 bagong pagkakataon para maabot ang mas maraming learners,” declared Education Secretary Sonny Angara, underscoring not just the quantitative but qualitative impact of this milestone. “Hindi lang ito tungkol sa dami. Ang mahalaga, mas marami ang buong pusong magseserbisyo para sa batang Pilipino.”

Targeted Deployment to Critical Regions

Using granular data from school directories, enrollment trends, and validated gaps, DepEd is rolling out the new positions where they are needed most. Region IV-A (CALABARZON) tops the list with 2,655 new posts, followed by Region III (Central Luzon) with 2,152, and Region VII (Central Visayas) with 1,774. Positions span Teacher I, Special Needs Education Teachers (SNETs), and Special Science Teacher I—all critical to shaping a diverse, inclusive, and future-ready education system.

This targeted approach ensures that classrooms suffering the most from overcrowding and teacher-to-student ratio disparities finally receive reinforcements.

Accelerated Hiring: From Bottleneck to Breakthrough

In just eight months, DepEd achieved what many considered improbable: cutting unfilled teaching positions nearly in half, from 72,964 vacancies in August 2024 to just 38,862 by April 2025. The result? A national teacher filling rate of 96.03%—up from 94.78% in 2022.

Much of this success lies in revamping the deployment process. Through a strategic partnership with DBM, Notices of Organization, Staffing, and Classification Action (NOSCAs) are now being issued directly to Schools Division Offices (SDOs) and Implementing Units (IUs), expediting the path from vacancy to appointment.

Coupled with the Comparative Assessment Result - Registry of Qualified Applicants (CAR-RQA) system, schools can now immediately tap into a pool of pre-vetted candidates, ensuring faster onboarding with minimal bureaucratic lag.

“Bawat bakanteng posisyon ay sayang na oportunidad para sa mga bata,” Angara emphasized. “Kaya ginagawa namin ang lahat para ma-close ang gap na ’to—not just through faster hiring, but through smarter, data-driven deployment.”

Systemic Reforms for Lasting Impact

But DepEd isn't stopping at numbers. It’s also building a better teaching ecosystem—one where educators are not only hired but empowered.

Key reforms include:

Increasing the Teaching Allowance to ₱10,000 annually

Simplifying administrative workloads and paperwork

Expanding promotion opportunities through the new Career Progression System

Streamlining policies to help teachers focus more on instruction and less on bureaucracy

These changes aim to restore dignity and sustainability to the teaching profession, turning it into a career of choice rather than one of necessity.

Looking Ahead: Stronger Classrooms for SY 2025–2026

As preparations gear up for School Year 2025–2026, the deployment of these 20,000 new educators promises to bring renewed energy, equity, and excellence to classrooms nationwide.

With the teacher workforce finally gaining the strength it needs, and with reforms anchoring long-term transformation, the Philippine education system is poised to take a decisive leap forward—one teacher, one learner, one classroom at a time.

“This is more than just staffing,” said Secretary Angara. “It’s a national commitment to our children’s future.”

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