Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) will deploy 666 new plantilla personnel, including lawyers, legal assistants, and procurement staff, to Schools Division Offices (SDOs) nationwide, following the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approval of its request.
According to Philippines News Agency, this initiative is a significant step for DepEd, which aims to strengthen frontline services in 223 division offices. Education Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted that the support from President Marcos and the DBM will enhance the efficiency of services and reduce staff burnout. The deployment will address longstanding gaps in legal and procurement functions that have hindered efficiency and burdened existing personnel in SDOs.
The approved positions include 47 for Attorney III, 187 for Legal Assistant I, 214 for Administrative Officer IV, and 218 for Administrative Officer II. This allocation will enable each of the 47 smaller SDOs to have its own full-time legal officer, while Legal Assistant I positions will be distributed across small and medium divisions.
Additionally, the creation of procurement teams across all SDOs has been approved, with 214 Administrative Officer IV (Salary Grade 15) and 218 Administrative Officer II (SG 11) positions established. This development is expected to expedite procurement activities and ensure adherence to government regulations, particularly for significant projects such as school construction, computerization, and textbook delivery.
The restructuring of legal services began under the 2015 Rationalization Plan, but increasing demands at the division level have surpassed available staffing. Currently, legal responsibilities, including case resolution, contract review, and consultations, are distributed across divisions, often causing delays and overworking personnel.
The new plantilla items are anticipated to improve the handling of procurement activities and ensure the proper and efficient use of public funds, as DepEd receives the largest budget allocation among government agencies.
