MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) may be unable to hire additional public school teachers in 2027 unless Congress restores funding for new teaching positions in the proposed national budget.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed during a congressional budget hearing on Monday that no allocation was included for the hiring of new teachers under DepEd’s proposed 2027 funding.
When lawmakers asked whether the budget for teacher recruitment had been reduced to zero, Angara answered in the affirmative.
He acknowledged that funding for additional teachers was not included in the current proposal but expressed hope that Congress would provide an allocation as lawmakers continue deliberations on the national spending plan.
DepEd has been allotted P973.40 billion under the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP). The amount is about 3.87 percent lower than the agency’s approximately P1.01-trillion budget for 2026.
DepEd seeks P4.29 billion for over 14,000 teachers
Despite the absence of funding for new teaching positions in the proposed budget, DepEd is seeking additional appropriations through its list of priority funding requests.
Angara’s presentation before lawmakers showed that the department is requesting an additional P49.16 billion for its personnel improvement initiatives.
Of this amount, P4.29 billion would be used to hire 14,274 new teachers.
Angara described the request as part of DepEd’s funding “wish list,” which lawmakers may consider as they scrutinize and amend the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
The proposed spending plan is still subject to congressional deliberations. Lawmakers have the authority to introduce changes to agency allocations before the General Appropriations Bill is finalized, meaning funding for additional DepEd personnel could still be restored or increased.
DepEd normally hires around 20,000 teachers annually
According to Angara, DepEd hires an average of approximately 20,000 teachers every year to respond to staffing requirements in public schools.
For 2026, however, the department received funding for about 32,000 new teachers, exceeding its usual annual hiring level.
Angara pointed to the higher allocation this year as an indication of the government’s previous efforts to address teacher shortages and growing personnel requirements across the public school system.
Without a similar allocation for 2027, the department would have no dedicated funding under the current budget proposal to create another batch of new Teacher I positions.
More school personnel included in DepEd funding request
DepEd’s personnel request extends beyond classroom teachers.
The department is also seeking P16.64 billion to hire 39,428 Project Development Officer I personnel, as well as another P10.52 billion to fund 14,126 School Principal I positions.
These requests form part of DepEd’s broader effort to strengthen staffing in schools and reduce the administrative burden carried by teachers and existing school personnel.
Whether these additional positions—including the proposed hiring of more than 14,000 teachers—will receive funding will ultimately depend on the final version of the 2027 national budget approved by Congress.
For now, the absence of a dedicated allocation in the National Expenditure Program raises the possibility of a significant slowdown—or even a temporary halt—in DepEd’s regular recruitment of new public school teachers next year.
Reviewed by Teachers Click
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September 08, 2026
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