Education and budget officials on Tuesday pushed back against claims that the government will freeze teacher recruitment next year, clarifying that the proposed 2027 national budget sets aside P31.22 billion to fill more than 64,000 vacant public school teaching slots.
In a joint statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) addressed widespread reports and social media posts alleging “zero funding” for teacher recruitment under the FY 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).
Officials explained that while the proposed budget does not create a new batch of entry-level “Teacher I” items, it fully funds the hiring of 64,530 authorized positions already in the pipeline.
Date from both agencies show the 64,530 funded items are 31,614 existing vacancies listed in the Government Manpower Information System as of April 2026 and 32,916 newly created items approved by DBM in May 2026.
Budget Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon emphasized that authorized plantilla items do not expire at the end of the year and remain open until qualified candidates are hired. He noted that creating more items while thousands remain empty would not resolve classroom shortages.
“It is simply incorrect to conclude from that that there is no funding to hire teachers. There is a very important distinction between creating a new position and hiring a new teacher. Walang panukalang panibagong batch ng Teacher I positions for creation sa fiscal year 2027 dahil habang binabalangkas ang NEP, marami pa ang unfilled vacant teaching positions,” De Leon said.
The confusion reportedly stemmed from the non-inclusion of DepEd’s supplemental request for 14,274 additional items worth P4.29 billion. Officials clarified that those proposed items were distinct from the 64,530 positions already funded.
DepEd Personnel Audit showed steady progress in filling positions. Education Secretary Sonny Angara reassured job seekers and current educators that recruitment remains active and continuous.
“Let us be clear: hindi titigil ang hiring ng teachers. We have thousands of authorized teaching positions that DepEd can continue to fill. The immediate task is to get qualified teachers into these vacant positions as quickly as possible,” Angara stated.
Highlights of Proposed 2027 Education Allocations
| Allocation | Budget | Coverage & Key Details |
| Teaching Positions | P31.22 Billion | Funds filling of 64,530 authorized plantilla items |
| Substitute Teachers | P7.58 Billion | Covers temporary substitutes during maternity leave, training or official absence |
| Career Progression (ECP) | P12.09 Billion | Supports 135,063 position reclassifications (nearly double 2026’s P6.15B allocation) |
| Teaching Allowance | P10.36 Billion | P10,000 cash allowance for 1.036 million teaching personnel |
| Magna Carta Benefits | P38.78 Billion | Includes PERA (P25.04B), Hardship Allowance (P5.80B), Medical Allowance (P7.30B) and Overload Honoraria (P648.10M) |
| Administrative & Support Staff | P840.59 Million | Creates 2,135 non-teaching items (Principals, Project Officers, Admin Officers) to lift admin burdens off teachers |
| Guidance & Counseling | P801.58 Million | Funds 2,021 school counselor items |
| Training & Development | P3.02 Billion | Includes P1.86B for in-service teacher training |
Support for Promotions and Non-Teaching Staff
Beyond recruitment, the proposed budget doubles down on teacher career advancement and workload reduction.
Funding for the Expanded Career Progression (ECP) system will rise to P12.09 billion in 2027, allowing 135,063 qualified educators to move up from Teacher I to VII or Master Teacher ranks based on merit, without waiting for vacant higher posts. This follows DBM’s recent release of P8.68 billion to cover salary differentials for 93,344 reclassified personnel.
To allow teachers to focus on teaching, the 2027 NEP allocates P840.59 million to create 2,135 non-teaching positions, including 1,000 School Principal I, 1,000 Project Development Officer I and 135 Administrative Officer II items, alongside P801.58 million for 2,021 guidance counseling roles.
Secretary Angara noted that addressing teacher welfare requires practical solutions over paperwork, “ang kailangan ng ating mga guro ay hindi lamang dagdag na plantilla sa papel. Kailangan nating punuan ang mga bakanteng posisyon, bilisan ang hiring, bigyan sila ng pagkakataong ma-promote, bawasan ang administrative work at tiyaking nakukuha nila ang benepisyo at suportang nararapat sa kanila.”