DepEd officials meet with Sulu division representatives to discuss hiring policies, personnel actions, and operational readiness ahead of 2027. Image Source: DEPED RO IX-Facebook.

Sulu’s preparations for the coming year are taking place amid a significant change in the administration of public education. The Schools Division Office (SDO) of Sulu is now part of DepEd Region IX, also known as the Zamboanga Peninsula, following the province’s exclusion from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

According to DepEd Region IX, officials from the central office, the regional office, and the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Sulu met to discuss hiring policies, personnel actions, and preparations for operational readiness before 2027. These priorities come as education authorities work to establish administrative arrangements under the new regional structure while maintaining services for schools, teachers, and learners across the province. The challenge extends beyond filling vacancies. Recruitment procedures, personnel records, staffing requirements, and coordination between government offices all influence how effectively the education system can operate during the transition.

Recruitment Rules and Staffing Priorities

DepEd’s recruitment framework provides the national basis for hiring and appointing personnel. DepEd Order No. 007, series of 2023, sets out procedures and criteria for recruitment, selection, and appointment to specified teaching, related-teaching, school administration, and non-teaching positions. DepEd Order No. 021, series of 2024, subsequently amended these guidelines. The framework emphasizes merit, competence, fitness, accountability, transparency, and equal opportunity. Recruitment involves the publication of vacancies, submission of application documents, evaluation of qualifications, comparative assessment, and appointment. These requirements provide a common standard for personnel decisions across the department.

For Sulu, applying the relevant rules is particularly important as recruitment responsibilities shift to the new administrative structure. Education Secretary Sonny Angara directed DepEd Region IX to oversee recruitment and appointments following the establishment of the provincial schools division office. Qualified personnel previously serving under BARMM’s Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education are to receive priority consideration, subject to Civil Service Commission rules.

“For Sulu, applying the relevant rules is particularly important as recruitment responsibilities shift to the new administrative structure.”

The distinction between authorized positions and completed appointments is also important. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved an initial staffing complement of 84 non-teaching plantilla positions for SDO Sulu. These positions support the division office’s administrative structure and should not be confused with teaching vacancies or a confirmed number of new teacher appointments. The division office comprises the Office of the Schools Division Superintendent, the Curriculum Implementation Division, and the School Governance and Operations Division. Establishing these functions provides an administrative structure for supervision, curriculum implementation, and school governance.

Personnel Continuity During the Transition

Continuity in personnel management remains essential to keeping schools operating while administrative responsibilities change. The transfer of Sulu’s education administration has required coordination between national and Bangsamoro authorities. Executive Order No. 91, series of 2025, provides the framework for integrating the province into Region IX following its exclusion from BARMM. Personnel arrangements have been a central concern throughout this process. In February 2026, the Bangsamoro Information Office reported that MBHTE would continue disbursing salaries and benefits for Sulu education personnel during fiscal year 2026 under an interim arrangement agreed with DepEd.

The arrangement followed difficulties affecting expected salary payments at the beginning of the year. The issue illustrates why personnel actions involve more than recruitment alone. Salary processing, employment documentation, the recognition of existing personnel, and the allocation of administrative responsibilities must also be coordinated to prevent disruptions.

“Continuity in personnel management remains essential to keeping schools operating while administrative responsibilities change.”

In April 2026, the Sulu Transition Technical Working Group also discussed personnel safeguards, funding gaps, and uninterrupted public services. A joint memorandum circular between the DBM and the Department of the Interior and Local Government was identified as a mechanism for clarifying personnel movements associated with the transition. These developments provide important context for the October preparations, highlighting the need for clear personnel arrangements, coordinated administrative responsibilities, and uninterrupted education services.

Looking Toward 2027

National budget planning adds another dimension to Sulu’s staffing preparations. On September 10, 2026, the DBM and DepEd clarified that the proposed 2027 national budget included PHP 31.220 billion to fill 64,530 authorized teaching positions nationwide. The agencies explained that the absence of a proposed new batch of Teacher I positions did not mean that teacher recruitment would stop in 2027. The total comprised 31,614 existing vacancies recorded during budget preparation and 32,916 positions newly approved in May 2026. A subsequent DepEd personnel audit reported that 25,019 teaching positions remained unfilled as of September 4, 2026.

For the province, operational readiness will depend on translating administrative arrangements into functioning services. Clear recruitment procedures, reliable personnel documentation, coordination between division and regional offices, and timely handling of staffing requirements will remain important as the new structure takes shape. The meeting places these questions within the preparations for 2027. Its reported focus on hiring policies, personnel actions, and operational readiness reflects the practical work associated with managing the transition. No specific new hiring target or final personnel decision can be established from the publicly available information reviewed for this article.

“For the province, operational readiness will depend on translating administrative arrangements into functioning services.”

The coming year will, therefore, test the effectiveness of the new administrative arrangements. For Sulu’s schools and communities, the central concern is whether changes in governance can be implemented without undermining the continuity of basic education. Recruitment and personnel management will be part of that process, alongside the wider responsibility of ensuring that schools continue serving learners throughout the province.

REFERENCES

Department of Budget and Management. (2026, March 6). TWG on Sulu transition fast-tracks measures to ensure uninterrupted education services. Department of Budget and Management. https://www.dbm.gov.ph

Department of Budget and Management. (2026, April 15). Sulu Transition TWG fast-tracks measures for seamless transition; tackles funding gaps, personnel safeguards, and continuity of essential services. Department of Budget and Management. https://www.dbm.gov.ph

Department of Budget and Management. (2026, September 10). P31.2 billion available to fill 64,530 teaching positions under proposed 2027 budget. Department of Budget and Management. https://www.dbm.gov.ph

TEACHERPH. (2023, March 22). DepEd Issues 2023 Guidelines for Recruitment, Selection, and Appointment of Personnel: Prioritizing Merit and Competence for Quality Education. Department of Education. TEACHERPH. https://www.teacherph.com

Daily Tribune. (2026, October 20). Sulu schools division formally shifts to DepEd Region IX. Daily Tribune. https://tribune.net.ph

Bangsamoro Government. (2026, February 27). MBHTE to continue paying Sulu school personnel during transition to DepEd — Iqbal. Bangsamoro Government. https://bangsamoro.gov.ph

DEPED RO IX-Facebook. (2026, October 22). DEPED Officials Meet to Discuss Hiring Policies, Personnel Actions, Preparations for Sulu SDO Operational Readiness Before 2027. DEPED RO IX-Facebook. https://web.facebook.com