DepEd hiring over 32,000 teachers in 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) plans to recruit over 32,000 teachers in 2026 to address teacher shortage in public schools nationwide.

According to DepEd, this plan is contained in the 2026 National Expenditure Program, where 32,916 new Teacher I items are proposed, marking one of the biggest single-year increases in the department’s staffing plan.

READ: DepEd breaks decade-long gridlock:Textbooks procurement up 289%

“Kapag nagdagdag tayo ng libo-libong guro, mas lumuluwag ang mga silid-aralan at mas nabibigyang-pansin ang mga batang kailangang abutan,” said Education Sexretary Sonny Angara in a recent statement.

(Once we hire thousands of teachers, classrooms become less crowded and children who need support receive more attention.)

“Papalakasin ang pwersa ng mga guro para mas umangat ang kalidad ng pagtuturo sa bawat paaralan,” he added.

(We will strengthen the teaching workforce so that the quality of instruction in every school will improve.)

Aside from teachers, the proposed staffing expansion also includes 6,000 School Principal I and 10,000 School Counselor Associate I positions. 

These additional staff, said DepEd, serves as a response to school-level concerns involving leadership gaps and the urgent need to strengthen guidance services to advance learner well-being and address bullying cases in campuses. 

DepEd said it is also set to open 11,268 Administrative Officer II positions and 5,000 additional Project Development Officer I positions to further complement and support school-level program implementation. 

The DepEd emphasized that this hiring plan reflects both the urgency of addressing classroom congestion and the trust placed in the department’s capacity to implement systemic reforms. 

Meanwhile, DepEd noted that this year, 20,000 new teaching positions are slated to be filled. /gsg