Sulu gets over 3,000 new teaching positions amid shift to DepEd control

MANILA, Philippines – The government approved the creation of over 3,000 teaching positions in Sulu as the province’s education office transitions to the jurisdiction of the Department of Education (DepEd). The DepEd announced on Tuesday, October 27, that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the creation of the following positions: 3,618 positions for Teacher I to Master Teacher II for kindergarten, elementary, and junior high school Nine teaching-related positions, including Head Teacher I and School Principal I and II In an explanation sent to Rappler, the DepEd said the figure came from the deployment plan it submitted to the DBM.

The plan “directly facilitates the structured transition and absorption” of existing personnel of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MBHTE-BARMM) into the national government framework. Voters in Sulu had rejected the Bangsamoro Organic Law in a 2019 plebiscite, but the province was still initially included in BARMM because the then-ARMM provinces were deemed to have voted as a single bloc. Sulu’s exclusion from the new region was only finalized after a Supreme Court ruling in 2024. By 2025, the province had reverted to the Zamboanga Peninsula , following an executive order issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Must Read Sulu shift to Zamboanga Peninsula tests gov’t ability to keep services running “DepEd, in coordination with the DBM, Regional Office IX, and local government partners, is fast-tracking the deployment and appointment protocols to guarantee that salaries, benefits, and operational support continue without interruption,” the agency said in a news release. Ronelo Al Firmo, the DepEd Zamboanga Peninsula director, said he will also…