DepEd to hire over 32,000 teachers in 2026
The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to recruit over 32,000 teachers in 2026 to address shortages in public schools across the country.
According to the 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.
“Kapag nagdagdag tayo ng libo-libong guro, mas luluwag ang mga silid-aralan at mas mabibigyang-pansin ang mga batang kailangang abutan (Once we add thousands of teachers, classrooms will become less crowded and children who need support will receive more attention),” said Education chief Sonny Angara in a recent statement.
Quality of instruction
“Papalakasin ang pwersa ng mga guro para mas umangat ang kalidad ng pagtuturo sa bawat paaralan (We will strengthen the teaching workforce so that the quality of instruction in every school will improve),” he added.
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 the 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 school campuses.
DepEd said it is also set to hire 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 department then 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, the DepEd noted that for 2025, 20,000 new teaching positions are slated to be filled.
