The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) on Monday welcomed the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) approval of 16,000 new teaching positions for School Year 2025–2026, but said the move falls short of addressing the country’s deepening teacher shortage.
In a statement, TDC National Chairperson Benjo Basas said the group “appreciates the move” but noted that the measure is “still far from enough” to meet the urgent demands of the education sector.
“The Department of Education (DepEd) itself declared last year that there is a shortage of over 50,000 teachers. This means that not even half of the need is being addressed—and that’s just by DepEd’s own standard,” Basas said. “If we measure it against the internationally acceptable 1:35 teacher-student ratio, the gap becomes even more alarming.”
Basas challenged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to exhibit political will in solving what he described as a long-standing crisis in education.
“We call on our legislators, especially those newly elected, to correct the neglect of past Congresses. The national budget must reflect the constitutional mandate for education to receive the highest budgetary priority,” he added.
The TDC also criticized what it called “dole-out provisions” in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and slammed the government’s “excessive fixation on infrastructure,” which it described as vulnerable to corruption and patronage politics.
“The people’s money must be spent where it is truly needed—on building a free, accessible, and quality public education system. This is not just a legal requirement. It is a moral duty to our learners, teachers, and the citizens in general,” Basas stressed.
On Sunday, the DBM announced that 16,000 new teaching items had been approved under the 2025 budget, forming part of the 20,000 positions targeted this year. The initiative, according to Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, supports President Marcos’ directive to strengthen the education sector and ensure sufficient manpower in public schools.
The positions include 15,343 Teacher I posts, 157 Special Science Teachers, and 500 Special Education (SPED) Teachers. The funding, amounting to P4.194 billion, will be sourced from the DepEd’s appropriations under the 2025 GAA.
