Groups of teachers have strongly opposed the government’s proposed rightsizing plan, warning that it could lead to job insecurity and disruptions within the education sector.
In separate statements issued last week, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines and the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) cautioned that reducing the workforce may compromise the delivery of quality education, especially amid existing challenges such as teacher shortages and increasing workloads.
Senate Bill No. 890, or An Act Rightsizing the National Government to Improve Public Service Delivery and for Other Purposes, was proposed by Senate President Chiz Escudero. It aims to save costs and make government agencies more efficient.
For TDC National Chairperson Benjo Basas, it is “essential to thoroughly review all government expenditures and identify potential sources of additional funding before considering the proposed rightsizing of the national government.”
Basas, a teacher from Caloocan City, noted that a critical step in improving the workforce is the regularization of all contractual employees who have long dedicated their service to the government but continue to face the uncertainty of job insecurity.
“Ensuring these workers’ stability in their positions is not only a matter of fairness but also a vital step toward recognizing their valuable contributions to the public sector,” he added.
Review and reconsider
While TDC acknowledged that there are government agencies whose functions may “no longer be necessary or may have redundancies,” the group clarified that there are other ways through which the government can reduce expenses—not just by dismantling certain agencies or reducing the number of employees.
Basas emphasized that the government could still achieve savings in various programs, especially those with “uncertain public impact or those filled with controversy.”
“But if it is necessary to reduce expenses related to officials and personnel, it would be better to review whether the compensation for government officials is justified, especially for elected ones who, in addition to their salaries, receive numerous perks, benefits, and incentives,” Basas said.
“This is where we can determine whether they genuinely want to serve, by reducing privileges and redirecting funds to employees who are truly working and in need,” he added.
‘Reckless’
Meanwhile, the groups criticized Escudero for his “reckless” statement on the rightsizing program.
For the ACT-NCR Union, Escudero’s statement “threatens education workers” and “exposes an anti-worker agenda.”
ACT-NCR Union President Ruby Bernardo said Escudero's statement is “not only offensive but also reveals the discriminatory nature of the government's rightsizing framework.”
The group strongly condemned Escudero's “insensitive remarks,” which, according to the ACT, have caused “distress and anxiety among school principals.”
TDC noted that several principal groups also expressed disappointment over Escudero’s remarks.
During a hearing on Jan. 7, TDC noted that according to Escudero, while the teacher-to-student ratio in the Department of Education (DepEd) “appears favorable on paper, it falls short in practice, as many teaching positions, including those held by principals, no longer involve direct classroom instruction.”
In a conversation with a Department of Budget and Management (DBM) official, Escudero noted that “all principals hold teaching positions, but about 90 percent of principals don’t actually teach anymore.”
Take a closer look
The three principal organizations, the Philippine Elementary Principals Association (PESPA), the National Association of Public Secondary School Heads, Inc. (NAPSSHI), and the National Association of Public Secondary Schools of the Philippines (NAPSSPHIL), urged Escudero to “take a closer look” at the job descriptions, functions, and Key Result Areas (KRAs) of principals.
PESPA President Dr. Ferdinand Millan noted that Escudero’s assertion that principals are “not teaching” unfairly diminishes the indispensable role they play in the educational system.
“While direct classroom instruction is not among our primary responsibilities, our leadership, guidance, management, and strategic decision-making are essential to maintaining and improving the quality of education,” Millan, a principal from Antipolo City, said. “To undervalue these contributions is to disregard the complexity and vital significance of our role,” he added.
NAPSSHI President Dr. Roland Dela Cruz also noted that Escudero’s statement was “unfair” because it implied that school principals “do not work as hard” as teachers.
Dela Cruz, a principal in a Manila high school, explained that there are already existing laws that outline the roles and responsibilities of school principals.
Principals, who have served as classroom teachers themselves, “possess a deep understanding of the challenges teachers face and provide invaluable technical assistance to enhance instructional quality,” according to Dela Cruz.
Dela Cruz also stressed that to become a principal, “one must pass a rigorous qualifying examination and meet the high standards” set by DepEd.
Another group of secondary school principals echoed the same sentiments.
Citing the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 (RA 9155), NAPSSPHIL President Dr. Warlito Rosareal said "the school head or principal serves as both an instructional leader and an administrative manager.”
“They are vested with the authority, accountability, and responsibility to carry out 12 specific obligations aimed at advancing quality education in the country,” said the Negros-based principal.
“The law intentionally excludes classroom teaching from the principal's duties to enable them to focus on their role as a school leader,” Rosareal added.
The groups emphasized that principals' plantilla positions “do not fall under” teaching roles.
Meanwhile, the groups expressed willingness to engage in a dialogue with Escudero to “resolve any misunderstandings.”
“I hope the good senator would have time to discuss this with us,” Basas said. “We are more than willing to sit with him for this matter and to discuss other equally important legislative agendas from the education sector,” he added.
PESPA, NAPSSHI, NAPSSPHIL, TDC, and other groups, such as the National Head Teachers Association of the Philippines (NaHTAP) and the Public Schools District Supervisors Association (PSDSA), have united to form the Integrated DepEd-based Associations Leaders (IDEAL).
This alliance of educator groups aims to strengthen the advocacy for education reforms, improve the quality of instruction, secure greater state subsidies for education, and protect the rights and welfare of employees.
A threat to education workers
ACT-NCR, for its part, noted that Escudero’s statement is viewed by teachers as a “dangerous precedent for the government's rightsizing program.”
“Ang ganitong klaseng pahayag ay nagpapakita ng mapanganib na programa ng gobyerno na basta na lang tatanggalin ang mga manggagawa sa ngalan ng tinatawag nilang efficiency (This type of statement reveals the government's dangerous program of arbitrarily removing workers in the name of what they call efficiency),” Bernardo lamented.
Bernardo also emphasized how the rightsizing program undermines workers by arbitrarily categorizing positions as non-essential.
“They're planning to overload some workers with additional tasks just to justify removing others from their positions,” Bernardo said.
Amid a severe economic crisis, Bernardo noted that the government’s plan will further worsen unemployment and the lack of regular employment.
“Ang kailangan ng sektor ng edukasyon ay dagdag na teaching and non-teaching personnel at pagtataas ng sahod (What the education sector needs are additional teaching and non-teaching personnel, as well as salary increases),” she added.
Bernardo also called out the “hypocrisy” in the government's austerity measures, noting that while it claims to cut costs through rightsizing, “we see rampant wastage and corruption” in the 2025 budget proposal.
“This exposes the true nature of their so-called cost-cutting measures - they save money by sacrificing workers while maintaining their corrupt practices,” Bernardo added.
For the teachers, the government’s rightsizing program “threatens job security and quality public service delivery” and should be reconsidered.