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.”

EcoWaste Coalition Hails Full Enforcement of Internet Transactions Act as a Turning Point in Consumer and Environmental Protection

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Dangerous, banned, and toxic products face crackdown in Philippine online marketplaces as watchdog group demands full compliance and accountability.

Quezon City, Philippines – June 26, 2025 — A new era of accountability dawns in the Philippines’ digital marketplace as the EcoWaste Coalition celebrates the full enforcement of Republic Act No. 11967, also known as the Internet Transactions Act (ITA). After an 18-month transitory period, the landmark legislation now takes full effect, promising sweeping reforms across the country’s booming e-commerce sector—and offering renewed hope for consumer safety and environmental health.

“This is the beaming light at the end of the tunnel,” declared Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition. “We have long witnessed the rampant and unregulated online sale of hazardous goods. The full implementation of this law is a decisive step forward to protect consumers from toxic and dangerous products that have no place in our homes—or in our future.”

Passed in 2023 by the 19th Congress, RA 11967 formally took effect on June 20, 2025, triggering a wave of enforcement measures by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the newly established E-Commerce Bureau (ECB). This includes the authority to issue takedown orders against illegal goods and services sold online and to hold digital platforms jointly liable with sellers if they fail to act on illicit listings.

“Our laws must evolve with the times,” emphasized Atty. Grip Bueta, legal counsel of the EcoWaste Coalition. “As more Filipinos turn to digital platforms for their everyday needs, our regulatory mechanisms must also expand to ensure that the right to a clean, healthy, and toxin-free environment is not left behind in the rush toward digital convenience. RA 11967 gives us a legal weapon to protect that right.”

A New Digital Mandate

At the core of the ITA is a mandatory E-Commerce Code of Conduct, which now governs every individual and entity engaged in online selling. This code enshrines basic consumer rights—to accurate information, to choose safe products, to redress grievances, and most importantly, to be protected from harm. The law expressly prohibits the sale of items that do not conform to existing regulations, including products recalled from the offline market.

The EcoWaste Coalition, a long-time environmental and health watchdog, has tirelessly tracked and exposed hazardous items lurking in Philippine cyberspace—from mercury-laden skin whiteners, lead-containing paints, to unregulated household products. These toxic goods often bypass traditional retail scrutiny, exploiting the anonymity and reach of digital platforms.

With the ECB now in operation, the Coalition is hopeful that the government can finally bring order to this once lawless frontier of commerce.

“We are placing our trust in the ECB and its allied agencies to clean up the digital marketplace,” the group said in a joint statement. “But this cannot be done in isolation. It requires an active, informed, and vigilant citizenry—consumers who report, regulators who respond, and sellers who act responsibly.”

Shared Accountability

Under the new law, digital platforms are no longer passive bystanders. They are now co-responsible for any violations committed within their virtual storefronts. This radical shift in liability—previously reserved for sellers alone—sends a strong message: hosting dangerous or illegal content is no longer business as usual.

For the EcoWaste Coalition, this marks a pivotal moment in the country’s digital evolution—one where ethics, safety, and sustainability are no longer optional, but mandatory.

“Unchecked digital growth cannot come at the cost of public health and safety,” Lucero concluded. “We envision a future where e-commerce in the Philippines becomes a model of responsible innovation—where both business and government work hand in hand to ensure that what we buy online won’t hurt us, or our planet.”

As the full force of RA 11967 begins to ripple through cyberspace, the EcoWaste Coalition urges the public to stay vigilant, report violators, and demand transparency from online sellers. The age of impunity for digital toxicity is ending—and a safer, cleaner, and more accountable e-commerce landscape is finally within reach.

Bondoc Peninsula Unites: Bold Alliance Sparks New Hope for Farmers and Fisherfolk in Quezon

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Padre Burgos, Quezon — June 10, 2025

In a powerful show of unity, more than 50 leaders and representatives from 15 organizations gathered in the heart of Padre Burgos, Quezon, to ignite a transformative movement across the agricultural and fisheries sectors of the Bondoc Peninsula (BonPen). This high-impact stakeholders' meeting brought together voices from Padre Burgos, Agdangan, and Unisan — three municipalities bound by the shared goal of uplifting their farmers and fisherfolk through sustainable development and empowered governance.

Convened by the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF), the forum served as a catalyst for coordinated action to fortify value chains in coconut, rice, vegetables, and fisheries. It also served as a landmark step in aligning local agricultural priorities with the broader legislative frameworks of their respective LGUs.

Attendees included municipal agriculturists, development officers, and prominent representatives from key national agencies — Landbank, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), PhilMech, the Quezon Federation and Union of Cooperatives, and a diverse array of local cooperatives and associations. Each one brought to the table insights, strategies, and resources aimed at revolutionizing food production and economic opportunity in the region.

A Shared Vision for Agricultural Transformation

Throughout the day-long summit, municipal agriculturists showcased current programs focused on modernizing agriculture and aquaculture — from enhancing access to funding, upgrading post-harvest technology, and expanding market connectivity, to introducing innovations that boost productivity and income for grassroots producers.

“This initiative is part of our collective vision to improve the lives of farmers and fisherfolk in Quezon,” said PEF Deputy Executive Director Cauchie Garcia, underscoring the spirit of partnership that fueled the gathering. “We also hope to gather best practices and share them across communities — not only in BonPen but eventually throughout the country.”

The long-term goal? To impact the lives of at least 12,000 farmers and fisherfolk over the next five years — a mission powered by collaboration, capacity-building, and a strong sense of bayanihan.

People's Councils: Building Power from the Ground Up

Among the most promising outcomes of the gathering was the proposal to establish local councils of people’s organizations and cooperatives in each of the three municipalities. These councils are envisioned as engines of participatory governance — driving community-led planning, policy engagement, and coordinated resource mobilization at the grassroots level.

Local government representatives offered resounding support for the plan, citing its direct alignment with DILG Memorandum Circular 2021-054, which calls on LGUs to institutionalize CSO Desks and People’s Councils to deepen civic participation in local governance.

“It’s about giving power back to the people,” one LGU official noted. “When our farmers and fisherfolk sit at the decision-making table, real change happens.”

A Model for the Nation

As the BonPen region charts a bold new path forward, the momentum generated from this historic gathering is expected to ripple far beyond its shores. Through ongoing consultations, inclusive planning, and shared accountability, the blueprint being laid down in Padre Burgos, Agdangan, and Unisan may very well serve as a model for rural transformation across the Philippines.

In a time when food security, climate resilience, and inclusive growth are national imperatives, this multi-sectoral alliance in BonPen offers a compelling testament to what can be achieved when government, civil society, and communities work hand in hand.

The seeds of transformation have been planted — and with collective effort, the harvest of hope and prosperity is well within reach.