The Department of Budget and Management announced Monday that the national government approved the creation of 32,916 new teaching positions for School Year 2026-2027.

According to the DBM, the move aims to ease classroom congestion and improve teacher workloads in public schools following the request of the Department of Education to expand its teaching workforce across all levels, including the Alternative Learning System (ALS).

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the additional positions are intended to address long-standing staffing gaps, improve learner-to-teacher ratios, and provide better support for both teachers and students in public schools.

Angara added that the initiative aligns with the directives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prioritize teacher welfare and improve the quality of education nationwide.

Of the total approved positions, 32,047 are Teacher I items.

The allocation also includes 369 Teacher III positions for Social Science teachers and 500 Teacher IV positions for Special Needs Education (SNED) to strengthen support for learners requiring specialized instruction.

The Zamboanga Peninsula reportedly received the largest allocation with 3,361 teaching items. Other allocations were distributed to the Schools Division Offices in Sulu, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Visayas, and Northern Mindanao.

Under Executive Order No. 174, series of 2022, also known as the Expanded Career Progression policy, the DBM said it will issue Notices of Organization, Staffing, and Compensation Actions (NOSCAs) to Schools Division Offices nationwide.