ILOILO City – The Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 assured that the operations and delivery of services in public schools remain unaffected despite the shortage of school principals.
Out of the 1,925 authorized principal positions for levels I to IV across Western Visayas, only 1,624 have been filled, leaving 296 vacancies.
“Based on our data, the region has been allocated 1,925 school principal positions, of which 1,624 are currently occupied, leaving 296 unfilled,” said DepEd Region 6 Information Officer Hernani Escullar Jr. in an interview with Panay News.
The recruitment process is ongoing under the leadership of Regional Director Ramir Uytico. However, Escullar acknowledged that hiring school principals has been challenging due to the requirement that candidates must pass the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH).
“In some areas, there are no available NQESH passers, or there are teachers eligible for promotion but who have not passed the exam. Nevertheless, under Dr. Uytico’s leadership, we continuously monitor the status of these vacancies, including other unfilled positions in our Schools Division Offices (SDOs), ensuring that the hiring process continues,” Escullar added.
To address the principal shortage, DepEd Region 6 and concerned SDOs have assigned officers-in-charge (OICs) or teachers-in-charge to manage schools without appointed principals. The region has 4,057 public schools, but only 1,925 have designated principals. The remaining schools are overseen by OICs and teachers-in-charge.
Escullar also clarified that some principals manage two schools, particularly their main school and its extension schools.
“The vacancies are due to natural attrition, such as retirements or resignations. When this happens, the SDO appoints an OIC or teacher-in-charge to ensure the school continues to function,” he said.
He stressed the importance of having a designated focal person in every school to coordinate with the SDO regarding administrative and operational concerns.
“The principal, OIC, or teacher-in-charge ensures that the needs of learners and teachers are met. They also oversee the protection of school properties, particularly during calamities and emergencies,” Escullar added.
“The school principal acts as the head of the institution, much like a parent in a family, ensuring the well-being, mental health, and overall needs of learners and school personnel while coordinating with the SDO and DepEd Regional Office for necessary support.”
A report released by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) noted that nearly 25,000 schools nationwide lack designated principals. Of these, 13,332 are led by head teachers, 8,916 by teachers-in-charge, 2,337 by OICs, and 193 schools are classified as “undefined.”
Among the 20,381 schools that do have principals, only 18,744 have official plantilla items, while 1,381 are still led by head teachers, teachers-in-charge, or OICs.
“The issue is particularly prevalent among elementary schools, where 8,533 primary schools and 639 schools offering both elementary and junior high school levels have yet to comply with DepEd policies,” the Edcom 2 report stated./PN
