In a major development for public school teachers and personnel across Sulu, Education Secretary Sonny Angara has welcomed the official approval from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the creation of 3,627 teaching and teaching-related positions for the newly established Schools Division Office (SDO) of Sulu.
“Alam natin na may kaunting pangamba kapag may ganitong kalaking pagbabago sa trabaho. Kaya ang mensahe natin sa ating mga guro at kawani sa Sulu: pamilya natin kayo sa DepEd, protektado kayo, at hindi natin pababayaan ang inyong kabuhayan,” Angara said.
“Obligasyon nating kilalanin ang sakripisyo ng ating mga guro at tuparin ang sinabi ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na walang maiiwan habang inililipat natin sa DepEd ang sistema ng edukasyon sa Sulu,” he added.
The milestone follows the recent visit of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Secretary Angara to Kawmpang Elementary School in Patikul, Sulu, where the President personally assured educators of a smooth and secure administrative transition as the province moves from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to DepEd Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) under Executive Order No. 91, s. 2025.
“Ang mensahe natin sa ating mga guro at kawani sa Sulu: pamilya natin kayo sa DepEd, protektado kayo, at hindi natin pababayaan ang inyong kabuhayan.”
During the visit, President Marcos affirmed that the national government is working to safeguard job security, noting that existing personnel will be absorbed and supported through newly created plantilla positions.
Under the DBM-approved breakdown, the 3,627 newly created positions include 3,618 teaching items spanning Teacher I to Master Teacher II for kindergarten, elementary, and junior high school levels, alongside nine teaching-related positions, including Head Teacher I and School Principal I and II.
This comes on top of the DBM’s earlier approval of 84 administrative and division positions to staff the SDO Sulu headquarters. Of these 84 positions, 40 are currently held by incumbent personnel from the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE-BARMM) deployed in Sulu, who are prioritized for absorption under Civil Service Commission rules.
“Bilib tayo sa dedikasyon ng ating mga guro sa Sulu dahil sa kabila ng mga hamon, tuloy-tuloy silang nagturo. Kaya ginagawa nating mabilis at maayos itong transisyon para sa kanila, para ang tanging isipin na lamang nila ay ang paggabay at pagtuturo sa ating mga kabataan,” Angara said.
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.
