DepEd can still hire teachers in 2027, DBM says

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 13, 2026

Photo courtesy: Asian Development Bank

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education and the Department of Budget and Management have clarified that the proposed 2027 national budget does not stop the hiring of public school teachers, despite reports of “zero funding” for new Teacher I positions.

The agencies said ₱31.22 billion has been set aside to fill 64,530 authorized teaching positions next year.

Of the total, 31,614 are existing vacant teaching positions recorded in the government’s manpower database as of April 24, 2026.

Another 32,916 positions were newly created and approved by the DBM in May 2026.

DepEd and DBM explained that while the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program does not include another batch of newly created Teacher I positions, thousands of already-authorized positions remain open for hiring.

These positions do not expire simply because they were not filled during the year they were created, the agencies said. They remain available once DepEd finds qualified applicants.

The figures in the proposed budget were based on personnel records available to the DBM during budget preparation and the applicable cut-off dates.

More recent DepEd data also show that hiring has continued.

As of Sept. 4, 33,250 authorized teaching positions had already been filled, while 25,019 remained vacant. Of teaching positions newly created in 2026, DepEd reported that 22,649 had been filled and 8,733 were still vacant.

The clarification means public school teacher recruitment can continue in 2027 even without a fresh batch of Teacher I items being created under the proposed budget.

The agencies said the priority is to fill existing authorized vacancies before additional positions are created.