Gatchalian to DepEd: Fill up thousands of vacant teaching positions

While the Department of Education (DepEd) is seeking an additional P2.58 billion in 2022 to hire 10,000 teachers, more than 30,000 teaching positions are yet to be filled as of September this year. For Senator Win Gatchalian, this should push the DepEd to accelerate its hiring process and fill the remaining vacancies.

Based on the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department's (CPBRD) agency notes for DepEd's 2022 budget, 71% of DepEd's 46,901 total unfilled positions refer to unfilled teaching positions. This is equivalent to 33,260 unfilled teaching positions and 16,460 or almost half of which are for Teacher I positions.

DepEd officials explained that the hiring process usually involves six months and involves the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC). Because of COVID-19 restrictions and the imposition of an alternative work arrangement, the agency also had to work on the hiring process with a limited number of staff.

"The positions left unfilled could equate to P13 billion in funds that are not being disbursed. This had been a recurring issue. I remember some senators, including myself, flagged this also last year and the year before that. We have to, once for all, find ways to reduce the six-month turn-around time somehow," said Gatchalian in a Senate panel hearing on the proposed budget of DepEd and its attached agencies.

To help reduce barriers in filling Teacher I positions, Undersecretary Wilfredo Cabral shared that the agency mulls accepting applicants who have no prior experience, similar to other entry-level positions.

For Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, P1.82 billion was allocated for the creation of 10,000 teaching positions. While DepEd is creating the same number of teaching positions in 2022, the higher P.2.58 billion-budget is meant to accommodate the increase in basic salaries under the latest tranche of the Salary Standardization Law.

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Gatchalian: Libu-libong bakanteng trabaho sa mga guro punan na!

Bagama't isinusulong ng Department of Education (DepEd) ang pagkakaroon nito ng karagdagang dalawang (2.58) bilyong piso sa 2022 para sa pagtanggap ng sampung libong (10,000) mga guro, mahigit tatlumpung (30,000) libong mga teaching positions pa buhat nitong nakaraang Setyembre ang hindi pa napupunan. Para kay Senador Win Gatchalian, dapat pabilisin ng DepEd na punan ang mga bakanteng trabaho para sa mga guro.

Ayon sa pagsusuri ng Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) sa panukalang pondo ng DepEd para sa 2022, mahigit pitumpung (71) porsyento ng halos apatnapu't pitong libong (46,901) mga posisyong hindi pa napupunan ay para sa mga guro. Katumbas nito ang tatlumpu't tatlong libong (33,260) teaching positions na hindi pa napupunan. Halos kalahati nito o mahigit labing-anim na libo (16,460) ay para sa posisyong Teacher I.

Paliwanag ng DepEd, madalas inaabot ng anim na buwan ang "hiring" ng mga guro. Bahagi din ng proseso ang Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at ang Civil Service Commission (CSC). Ayon pa sa DedEd naka-apekto rin ang mga paghihigpit na dulot ng COVID-19 at ang pagpapatupad ng alternative work arrangement kung saan limitado ang bilang ng mga kawaning pumapasok sa mga opisina ng DepEd.

"Ang mga posisyong hindi pa napupunan ay katumbas ng labing tatlong bilyong pisong pondo na hindi pa nagagamit. Kada taon na lang ay isyu ito na madalas napupuna naming mga senador. Kailangan nating hanapan ng paraan kung paano mapapaikli ang prosesong inaabot ng anim na buwan," pahayag ni Gatchalian sa pagdinig ng Senado sa panukalang budget ng DepEd at ang mga attached agencies nito.

Upang mabawasan naman ang mga hadlang sa agarang pagpuno ng mga kinakailangang Teacher I, ibinahagi ni Undersecretary Wilfredo Cabral na pinag-iisipan na ng ahensya ang pagtanggap sa mga aplikanteng wala pang karanasan, kagaya ng ibang mga entry-level positions.

Para sa Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, halos dalawang (1.82) bilyong piso ang inilaan sa ahensya para sa sampung libong (10,000) teaching positions. Bagama't pareho ang bilang ng teaching positions na balak buksan ng DepEd para sa 2022, ang mahigit dalawang bilyong (2.58) pisong pondo ay nakaayon sa pagtaas ng mga sahod sa ilalim ng pinakahuling bugso ng Salary Standardization Law.

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