SPEAKER Martin Romualdez on Wednesday assured the public that the House of Representatives will continue to sustain funding for 20,000 new public school teachers in the 2026 national budget and beyond.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) has confirmed that all 20,000 teaching positions it requested for 2025 have been approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Romualdez said the Lower Chamber will ensure funding for new teaching positions in the education sector led by Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara, following the item’s full allocation under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“All 20,000 new teaching items are about changing lives, not just addressing the shortage of teachers in our classrooms. Each position filled means a teacher in front of students who need guidance, and a Filipino family with a new source of income, dignity, and hope,” Romualdez said.
The DBM confirmed that the allocation will come from the Department of Education’s (DepEd) built-in appropriations under the “New School Personnel Positions” program for fiscal year 2025.
The Speaker committed that the House will not only protect this funding during its implementation, but will ensure its continuity in the 2026 budget and beyond.
“We thank the President for championing this initiative. This is what leadership looks like: one that understands that the future begins in every classroom,” Romualdez said.
He likewise lauded Angara for hands-on approach and deep understanding of the systemic challenges in the education sector: “Secretary Angara brought not only data but vision, backed by years of legislative work on education. Under his leadership, we know these funds will be translated into real results on the ground.”
The Speaker emphasized that Congress approved the DepEd and Executive proposal with overwhelming support during the 2025 budget deliberations, precisely because “lawmakers understood both the educational and economic value of the measure.”
“Let’s be clear: this is not just an education initiative. It’s also a bold job-generation program,” Romualdez said.
“We are creating 20,000 permanent government positions. That means 20,000 families with new income, thousands of education graduates finally landing their first job, and hope returning to homes across the country,” he added.
The positions, which include Teacher I, Special Needs Education Teacher (SNET), and Special Science Teacher I items, will be distributed to all regions, with the highest allocations going to Region IV-A with 2,655 items, Region III with 2,152, and Region VII with 1,774.
DepEd also reported the reduction of unfilled teaching posts from 72,964 in August 2024 to 38,862 by April 2025. The national filling rate has increased from 94.78 percent in 2022 to the present 96.03 percent.
“With 20,000 new teaching items come 20,000 new opportunities to reach more learners, reduce the workload of existing teachers, and improve learning delivery in the field,” Angara said.
“It’s not just about the quantity. What’s important is there are more [teachers] who will wholeheartedly give their service for the Filipino youth,” he added.
Notices of Organization, Staffing, and Classification Action (NOSCAs) are also being issued by DBM regional offices directly to the School Division Offices (SDOs) to ensure swift deployment.
“Every vacant position is a wasted opportunity for the children. That’s why we’re doing everything we can to close this gap. Not just with swift hiring, but also with better and smarter deployment,” Angara said.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Romualdez vows funding for 20,000 new teaching positions.”
