PALO, Leyte – Some 2,778 non-teaching personnel have been hired by the government as part of its effort to remove additional paper work from public school teachers, the Department of Education (DepEd) regional office here said Tuesday.

The hiring of administrative officers is part of the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to free teachers from administrative tasks, said DepEd Eastern Visayas Regional Director Evelyn Fetalvero during the “Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas” press briefing at the agency’s regional office here.

“Hiring more administrative personnel will enable teachers to maximize their time in actual classroom teaching. Ideally, there should be one administrative for every school,” Fetalvero said.

This academic year, the region has 4,179 public elementary and secondary schools.
Of the 2,778 hired workers since 2020, some 1,280 of them are regular employees, and 1,498 are under contract of service. These include the 842 regular administrative officers hired this year.

Nationwide, the target is to hire 5,000 administrative officer II positions this year with a PHP27,000 monthly starting salary.

Included in the administrative tasks removed from teachers are personnel administration, property or physical facility custodianship, general administrative support, financial management, records management, feeding, school disaster risk reduction, and management, among others.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

2025 Elections

TACLOBAN CITY– The political dominance of the Ongchuans and Dazas in Northern Samar province appears to continue.

Incumbent Governor Edwin Ongchuan sprung a surprise by not seeking a reelection bid but instead chose to run for Congress, representing the province’s second congressional district.

The current occupant of the said congressional post, Harris Christopher Ongchuan will run instead as governor in next year’s elections.

The Ongchuan cousins are serving their second terms, respectively.

In the first congressional district, which includes the provincial capital of Catarman, incumbent Rep. Paul Daza chose not to seek for his possible third term.

Instead, he fielded his son, Niko Raul, 31, to run for the post also occupied by his grandfather, former congressman Raul Daza, a Liberal Party stalwart.

Rep. Daza said that his son while a neophyte, is capable to seek for a congressional post. “This is the time for the millennials like my son. But I will always be behind my son who is qualified to run for the post,” he said.

Gov. Ongchuan, in a statement, admitted that his move to seek for a congressional post, which he held for a single term ending in 2019, instead could have surprised his supporters.

“I may be taking another role this time as a congressman, but this will still be a great avenue for me to be able to help improve the lives of not only the Nortehanons but other individuals thru significant and meaningful legislative agenda,” he said.

“Not an overnight and easy decision but I think that I would be able to help more,” the outgoing governor said.

Gov. Ongchuan will face Rosalinda Capoquian, wife of former Gamay mayor, Rodolfo Capoquian.

Meantime, Christopher Harris vowed to continue the ‘legacy of progress’ made under the administration of his cousin.

“I have decided to run as governor of Northern Samar as I hope to continue the legacy of progress initiated under Gov. Edwin’s leadership,” he said in a separate statement.

“I know this is going to be a big responsibility at handa po ako mag-serbisyo para sa minamahal kong Nortehanon,” Christopher Harris added.

He will be facing former governor Harlin Abayon who served the province for nine years ending in 1998.

(JOEY A. GABIETA/PETER D. PAREDES)