A SENATOR on Wednesday vowed to seek funding support for new teaching positions in basic education since there is zero budget for new teachers in the Department of Education’s (DepED) 2027 budget.
In a statement, Senate President Sherwin T. Gatchalian said he continues to push for the expansion of teacher headcounts. “If the shortage of teachers persists, our students’ learning will be severely compromised,” he added.
His advocacy follows the results of the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment, which showed 19% of Filipino students attended schools where understaffing hindered learning.
The proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) for DepEd allocates zero funding for new teaching roles, despite the office’s request for P4.29 billion to hire 14,274 new teachers.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) clarified on Sept. 10 that P31.22 billion has been provided to fill 64,530 existing vacant positions.
While the 2027 NEP does not propose a new batch of teacher I positions, the DBM said the vacancies can still be filled because they do not expire. Expanding the education sector’s workforce, however, remains critical, Mr. Gatchalian said. — Francessca S. Abalos