What Is the DepEd Hiring 2026 Plan?

The DepEd hiring 2026 plan is one of the biggest moves by the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines to fix the lack of teachers in public schools. They want to hire 32,916 Teacher I positions next year to reduce classroom congestion and help students learn better.

This plan is part of the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP). It supports the government’s goal to improve basic education and make sure students have better learning spaces.

Why Is This Important?

Many public school teachers handle large class sizes. Some classrooms are filled with over 50 students. This makes it hard for teachers to give enough attention to each learner.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said that hiring thousands of new teachers will make a big difference. Smaller class sizes mean more attention to each student and better learning outcomes.

“When we add thousands of teachers, classrooms become less congested and learners who need assistance receive more attention,” Angara said.

What Positions Will Be Available?

Here’s a breakdown of the DepEd hiring 2026 positions:

• 32,916 Teacher I positions – for public schools nationwide
• 6,000 School Principal I positions – to provide stronger school leadership
• 10,000 School Counselor Associate positions – to support student mental health and fight bullying
• 11,268 Administrative Officer II (AO II) – to reduce paperwork for teachers
• 5,000 Project Development Officer I (PDO I) – to help schools run programs better

Reducing Teacher Workload

One major reason for hiring more staff is to remove non-teaching tasks from teachers. Many educators today are also doing admin work, which adds stress and takes time away from teaching.

With more AO IIs and PDO Is, schools can run smoother, and teachers can focus more on lessons, not on paperwork.

Ongoing Efforts and Past Hiring

This isn’t the first time DepEd has added jobs. In 2025, the department planned to:

• Deploy 20,000 new teaching positions
• Fill 33,052 unfilled posts from past years

This shows DepEd is working to catch up with the growing number of students in public schools.

How This Helps the Education System

The DepEd hiring 2026 plan helps in many ways:

✅ Less classroom congestion
✅ Better student-teacher ratio
✅ Stronger mental health support
✅ More time for teachers to teach
✅ Improved school leadership

It’s a huge step to make schools better and help learners succeed.

A Historic Education Budget

Angara said this is a historic year for education. The proposed budget for 2026 is very large and will help the country:

• Hire needed teachers
• Improve school services
• Prepare for the new curriculum

He said, “The education sector has long waited for a budget of this scale.”

What Happens Next?

The final decision will come when Congress approves the 2026 General Appropriations Act. If approved, DepEd will start hiring these new workers by next year.

Final Thoughts

The DepEd hiring 2026 plan brings real hope to many public school teachers and students. With more staff and less classroom congestion, teaching and learning can finally improve.

If you are a teacher, a parent, or a student, this plan could be the change you’ve been waiting for.