Senator Joel Villanueva on Sunday, May 25 welcomed the hiring of 10,000 non-teaching positions saying it is “a step in the right direction for the education sector.”

Villanueva complements the earlier initiatives of the government to hire 20,000 teachers in time for the opening of the new school year. 

“This will also fulfill DepEd Order No. 2, series of 2024, which ordered the immediate removal of administrative tasks of public school teachers,” Villanueva said.

The senator noted that the need for additional personnel has long been called for by public school teachers saddled with non-teaching tasks. 

“During the consultations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM2) where we sit as Commissioner, we found out that teachers carry over 50 ancillary and administrative tasks, including serving as canteen manager, 4Ps and school-based feeding coordinator, Gulayan sa Paaralan overseer, among others. These tasks keep the teachers away from the classrooms,” he pointed out.

“These responsibilities have also significantly impeded upon their primary job of teaching, in some cases, leading to poor teaching quality,” he stressed. 

If teachers are focused on teaching, the lawmaker said they would have more time and energy to solve the learning crisis in the country.

“We have consistently pushed to fill vacant positions in government.  This will not only provide employment to our kababayans, but will enrich our pool of public servants. Under the 2025 Deped Staffing Summary, the department has 47,546 unfilled positions,” he said.

“We know the DepEd needs more teachers and staff as the number of learners continue to grow. The recent hiring announcements show the government is listening to the teacher and student woes, and are trying to make things right,” the senator stressed.