The government will provide more than P103 million in scholarships to 720 aspiring teachers beginning in Academic Year 2026-2027 as part of efforts to address shortages in key education specializations and strengthen the country's teaching workforce.

Department of Education Secretary and Teacher Education Council (TEC) Chairperson Sonny Angara on Wednesday signed a memorandum of agreement between the TEC and Commission on Higher Education's Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) for the implementation of the Teacher Education Scholarship Program (TESP).

Under the program, P103.32 million in financial assistance will be allocated to students pursuing teacher education degrees in fields where the country faces a shortage of educators..

According to the DepEd, the pilot rollout will prioritize students specializing in Early Childhood Education, Values Education and Special Needs Education—areas identified as requiring additional support to improve access to age-appropriate, values-centered and inclusive learning.

"The scholarship program turns that vision into action by investing in the people who will shape the next generation of Filipinos," Angara said during the signing ceremony.

The education chief said investing in teacher education yields long-term benefits, noting that a single teacher can influence hundreds of learners over the course of a career.

The TEC said the program will be implemented in partnership with UniFAST, which will oversee the release of scholarship funds to beneficiaries.

The initiative comes as the government seeks to address persistent challenges in teacher education, including financial barriers faced by students pursuing education degrees and shortages in specialized teaching fields.

Officials said scholarship recipients are expected to complete their degrees, obtain professional licenses and eventually serve in schools where demand for qualified teachers is highest.

Angara said the scholarship program complements ongoing reforms aimed at improving the quality of teacher education. These include the designation of Teacher Education Centers of Excellence, the development of a national quality assurance framework and efforts to modernize teacher education curricula.

"Every engineer, doctor, entrepreneur, scientist, artist and public servant begins as a learner guided by a teacher," Angara said. "When we invest in future educators, we invest in the success of every Filipino child and in the future of the nation itself."