Over 22k non-teaching posts eyed to ease teacher workload

The Department of Education (DepEd) said on Friday that over 22,000 new non-teaching positions will help ease teachers’ workload nationwide amid the nationwide rollout of the three-term calendar.

“We are thankful to President Marcos and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) because this is a big help in easing the administrative works of our teachers,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in Filipino in a news release.

“With these new positions, our teachers can better focus on teaching and improving the education quality of our country,” he added.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines earlier warned that teachers may be affected by the additional workload that comes with the implementation of the three-term calendar.

“This is not just about changing the calendar, we have seen a lot changes,” ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo said in Filipino during a House committee hearing.

She noted that the academic shift entails changes to the Budget of Work, the grading system, and school forms. “I know there are birth pains in all changes, but our teachers have always carried the burden of these changes. We need support from you, DepEd.”

The 22,268 new non-teaching posts approved by DBM will be distributed across various regions, allocating 6,000 School Principal I, 11,268 Administrative Officer II, and 5,000 Project Development Officer I positions at the elementary and secondary levels.

Regional offices will directly issue the corresponding Notice of Organization, Staffing, and Compensation Actions to expedite deployment.

“With this manpower boost, DepEd reinforces its commitment to fostering a more efficient and supportive environment for Filipino educators and learners alike,” the agency said in a news release.

The DBM also previously approved 32,916 new teaching positions for Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High School (JHS), Senior High School (SHS), and the Alternative Learning System (ALS).

Teacher I positions will receive an allocation of 32,047; 369 to Teacher III positions as Special Science Teacher I; and 500 to Teacher IV positions for Special Needs Education (SNED).

Zamboanga Peninsula will receive the highest deployment allocation, with 3,361 posts, including 1,467 Teacher I positions for the Division of Sulu to bridge critical instructional gaps.

Central Luzon will also receive 2,722 items, followed by CALABARZON with 2,644, Central Visayas with 2,586, and Northern Mindanao with 2,541.

DepEd said the funding for these newly filled positions will be charged against the agency’s built-in appropriations under the FY 2026 General Appropriations Act.— Almira Louise S. Martinez