Key facts
- The Philippines has approximately 20,000 unfilled teaching positions.
- Over 22,700 of 31,428 established teaching positions were filled as of June 30, 2026.
- Challenges in filling vacancies include hard-to-fill specializations and applicant mismatches.
- The Department of Education (DepEd) is continuing its teacher hiring efforts.
- A proposed P4.2 billion is allocated for hiring 14,274 additional teachers.
The Philippines is grappling with a significant learning crisis due to over 20,000 unfilled teaching positions, as revealed during a budget hearing for the Department of Education's (DepEd) proposed 2027 budget. Davao de Oro Rep. Maricar Zamora, the budget sponsor for DepEd, stated that out of 31,428 teaching positions established under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), 22,711 were filled as of June 30, 2026, leaving 8,688 vacancies. When combined with 12,646 unfilled positions from previous years, the total deficit stands at approximately 20,000 teaching posts.
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio questioned the persistent vacancies despite the availability of qualified applicants. Zamora attributed the delays to several factors, including "hard-to-fill positions," instances of waiving beneficiaries under special hiring guidelines, and a shortage of applicants for specific specializations. She assured lawmakers that hiring would continue as the GAA 2026 allocation is still being implemented and recruitment will extend into the following year.
Additionally, Tinio raised concerns about the P12 billion allocation for an expanded career progression program, noting existing backlogs. Zamora explained that the proposed amount is a realistic consideration given limited resources, though the department would ideally provide more. Education Secretary Sonny Angara had previously identified teacher hiring as part of DepEd's requested P49.1 billion for its "personnel improvement" program, which includes P4.2 billion for 14,274 new teachers.