Educators and parents in Pangasinan have lauded the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) approval of the hiring of 16,000 new teachers and 10,000 non-teaching personnel for school year 2025-2026, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call to ease the administrative burden on teachers and improve education quality.

Dr. Mariel Calima, principal of Pangasinan National High School, said the move is timely and offers much-needed support for overcrowded classrooms and overstretched educators.

“The move brings hope to the entire education community. With the growing number of learners and the persistent issue of overcrowded classrooms, this initiative will help improve the teacher-student ratio, reduce the workload of existing teachers, and ultimately raise the quality of instruction in our schools,” Dr. Mariel Calima, principal of Pangasinan National High School, said in an interview on Friday.

She said this is as a great opportunity not just for aspiring educators, but more importantly, for the learners who deserve access to quality and focused education.

Calima expressed hope that the process of hiring would be fair and transparent.

“May the process be fair and transparent, and may those chosen to serve carry with them the heart, dedication, and integrity that this noble profession requires,” she added.

Dr. Willy Guieb of Dagupan City National High School echoed the sentiment, particularly for senior high school where specialized subjects require teachers with specific expertise.

“We all know that in senior high school, subjects are specialized, and we’re looking at the additional personnel who can really handle the specifics required by the subjects as well as the highly technical skills needed,” he said in a separate interview.

DepEd Ilocos Region administrative officer Dr. Cesar Bucsit said 664 of the 16,000 new teaching positions will be allocated to the region, noting a move would help improve learning outcomes.

“The hiring of an additional teaching workforce would be of great help as it would not only ensure quality education as the teachers could focus on their respective subject areas but also enhance learning outcomes,” he said.

Parents welcomed the news, saying it would lead to better-prepared teachers, more consistent classroom instruction, and less disruption when educators are on leave or attending training.

Hazel Ann de Guzman, a resident of Dagupan City, said her son would benefit from it as it would give the teachers more time to prepare their lessons and more time and focused teaching in the classrooms.

Melanie Episcope of Malasiqui town said she is looking forward to uninterrupted learning of her son.

“There are times when the teacher gets sick or has to attend a seminar or training, but this time around, we are hoping that there will be enough teachers to cover when the other teachers are not available,” she said in Filipino. (PNA)