THE Department of Education-Davao Region (Deped-Davao) dispelled rumors of a hiring freeze for regional teaching positions and addressed the status of the ongoing learning intervention program during the Isyu Karon media forum on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Speaking at the forum, Deped-Davao Spokesperson Jenielito Atillo clarified that recruitment and promotional pipelines remain active, explaining the department's dual mechanism for teacher recruitment following public confusion over fiscal budget reports.
Speaking at the forum, Deped-Davao Spokesperson Jenielito Atillo clarified that recruitment and promotional pipelines remain fully active and explained the department's dual mechanism for teacher recruitment.
The public misconception stemmed from recent national reports following statements by Education Secretary Sonny Angara regarding budget constraints for creating brand-new teaching positions in the upcoming fiscal year.
Clarifying the local impact, the Deped official noted that while funding constraints may affect the creation of additional regular items, it does not freeze ongoing recruitment for existing positions across regional offices.
"Walay kanang stop hiring, literal kaayo. Dili mahitabo nga naay stop hiring ang Department of Education," Atillo stated. "Kay ang Deped man gud, two ways ang hiring niyan. Naa siya'y gitawag nga new item hiring, new applicants, ug kining natural vacancies (There is no such thing as a stop-hiring directive; that is too literal. A stop-hiring directive will never happen in the Department of Education. Deped recruitment operates in two ways: new item hiring for new applicants, and filling natural vacancies)."
Atillo noted that natural vacancies—caused by retirements, resignations, career shifts, or teachers migrating abroad—continue to be filled promptly because funding for these existing roles remains secured.
While acknowledging that the supply of licensed teachers currently exceeds the available government items, he highlighted that promotional relief is also underway through the department's Expanded Career Progression (ECP) framework.
Alongside recruitment clarifications, Atillo highlighted Deped’s active school monitoring operations across regional divisions. He explained that monitoring teams conduct comprehensive inspections covering campus safety protocols and school canteen operations, while maintaining a primary focus on preparations for the upcoming National Achievement Test (NAT).
Additionally, Atillo confirmed steady progress on the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (Aral) Program. While administrative mechanics for potentially hiring external tutors are still being finalized, he reassured the public that existing school personnel are actively delivering core tutorial interventions.
"Ang Aral man gud, dako na siya kaayo nga pondo... kining hiring sa tutors is just part of the entire scope of the program (The Aral Program has a massive budget allocation, and hiring external tutors is just one part of its entire scope)," Atillo added, noting that schools are fully leveraging their current teaching staff to achieve the initiative's academic recovery goals. GRS
