The Department of Education (DepEd) said it has reduced teachers' administrative paperwork by 57 percent to give educators more time for classroom instruction and ease the burden of non-teaching responsibilities.

In an interview with DZRH, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the reform is aimed at preserving teachers' instructional time, which he described as essential to improving learning outcomes.

"Ang puno't dulo nitong lahat ng mga reporma is to focus on teaching time, to get back to teaching time. Sagrado ang teaching time. Ibig sabihin, yung oras ng teacher sa kanyang mga bata, sagrado 'yon," Angara said.

He noted that teachers have increasingly taken on responsibilities beyond classroom instruction as schools have become venues for the implementation of various government programs and services.

Among these additional duties are assisting in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), school feeding initiatives, vaccination activities and other community-based projects.

"Nowadays, hindi na simple ang trabaho ng teacher. They are called upon to implement, with the growth of large government," Angara said.

To ease the workload, DepEd has started deploying additional personnel, including administrative officers and project development officers, to handle operational and program-related tasks that do not require teachers' direct involvement.

Project development officers are expected to assist in managing school programs and coordinating government initiatives, allowing teachers to focus on lesson delivery, learner assessment and classroom engagement.

DepEd said recruitment for these support positions is ongoing.

The department also linked the reforms to teacher welfare, saying that reducing administrative workload is part of addressing stress and burnout among educators.

"It's a wellness issue rin for our teachers," Angara said. "Let's take care of our teachers. Let's make sure may oras din sila."

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has previously called for measures to reduce teachers' administrative workload, saying non-teaching duties have contributed to educators' burden.

"You cannot expect quality education when teachers are stretched beyond their training, forced into multiple roles, and deprived of adequate support," ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo said.

"Overwork has been normalized, but it is fundamentally unsustainable," she added.