DepEd Guidelines for Public School Teacher Hiring

Legal basis and referenced laws

These guidelines are anchored on the school-based management policy under Republic Act No. 9155.
The guidelines harmonize DepEd recruitment, selection, and appointment or assignment with the provisions of Republic Act No. 8190, Republic Act No. 4670, Republic Act No. 7836, and P.D. No. 603.
The guidelines expressly require taking into account pertinent provisions of R.A. No. 8190, R.A. No. 4670, R.A. No. 7836, and P.D. No. 603 in inclusion in the registry or pool and in recruitment, selection, and appointment of qualified teacher-applicants.

Purpose and policy statements

The guidelines are issued to harmonize DepEd recruitment, selection, and appointment or assignment procedures with the cited statutory framework.
Teacher-applicants shall be categorized into Category I and Category II.
A systematic assessment of teacher-applicants shall be conducted based on criteria provided and used for inclusion in the registry or pool.
Ranking shall be school-based, while hiring shall be done in division offices.
Appointments shall prioritize Category I before Category II.

Coverage and who is included

These guidelines apply to the appointment or assignment of Teacher 1 positions (SG10) in public elementary and secondary schools under the Department of Education.
Locally paid teachers whose salaries are drawn against the Special Education Fund (SEF) or the general fund of the local government units are covered when applying for teaching positions in any public elementary or secondary school.
Teacher-transferees are covered when transferring or being reassigned to another school where they are bona fide residents for the required period.

Key definitions used

A teacher-applicant is a person who possesses the appropriate license to teach and meets the minimum requirements of the position.
A teacher-transferee is a public elementary and secondary school teacher seeking transfer or reassignment to another school where the teacher is a bona fide resident for at least six months prior to application.
A bona fide resident is a teacher who has resided in the barangay, municipality, city, or province where the school is located for at least six (6) months prior to application.
A registry or pool of qualified teacher-applicants is the list of qualified teacher-applicants created through systematic selection, assessment, and evaluation based on established criteria.

Categorization, registry/pool, and priority rules

Teacher-applicants shall be categorized as:
- Category I: those in the upper ten (10) percent of LET/PBET passers with or without teaching experience in basic education.
- Category II: all other LET/PBET passers with or without teaching experience in basic education.
The systematic assessment for inclusion in the registry or pool shall be done in the school every school year.
The assessment results and corresponding ranking shall be submitted to the division office and shall form part of the registry or pool from which the Schools Division Superintendent selects the most qualified teacher-applicants to fill vacancies by appointment or assignment.
A registry of the pool of qualified teacher-applicants shall be established in every division office, valid for three (3) years, and updated every school year by incorporating lists of new qualified teacher-applicants submitted by school heads after annual ranking.
The registry or pool shall contain:
- names,
- addresses,
- ranking, and
- preferred schools with their addresses for appointment or assignment.
Appointments shall be made first from the Category I registry/pool before considering Category II.
A separate registry or pool shall be established for every elementary school and another for every secondary school within the division office.

School-based assessment and submission mechanics

The school head shall create a committee of five to interview teacher-applicants and screen application documents.
For central elementary schools and non-central elementary schools, the five-member committee shall be selected by the school head from among Grade Level Chairman and Subject Area Specialists, preferably Master Teachers, based on competence and demonstrated capability.
For elementary or secondary schools with six teachers or less, clusters of these schools shall be constituted; the Schools Division Superintendent shall identify the committee of five and designate a lead school head to chair the committee.
For secondary schools, the school head shall form a committee of five consisting of department heads of the five learning areas: English, Science, Math, Filipino and Makabayan; applicants for annex schools shall apply in the parent school.
Teacher-transferees shall submit a written application and necessary documents, including the certification of place of residence, to the school head concerned for verification and certification of correctness and authenticity; the school head shall forward the application to the committee for interview and screening for registry/pool inclusion.
Applicants not currently in service as public elementary or secondary school teachers shall apply to the school heads of public elementary or secondary schools located in their places of residence; the school head shall verify and certify documents and forward applications to the committee for possible inclusion in the registry/pool.
The school head and the five-member committee shall sit en banc to interview and rate teacher-applicants in each of the two categories.
The results of assessment and corresponding ranking shall be submitted by the school head to the Schools Division Superintendent, who shall include the names in the registry/pool for appointment or assignment.
The Schools Division Superintendent shall furnish the Regional Director copies of the registry/pool.

Annual schedule, documentary requirements, and submission

The annual schedule for assessment/selection for inclusion in the registry or pool is:
- January 15 to March 15: filing of applications
- March 16-31: interview of applicants
- April 1-15: ranking of applicants
- April 16-30:
  - submission of rank list to the Schools Division Superintendent, and
  - posting of the rank list in conspicuous places.
The required documents to be submitted are:
- CSC Form 212 in two copies with the latest 2 x 2 ID picture;
- authenticated copies of LET/PBET rating and PRC registration/license;
- authenticated copy of baccalaureate transcript of records with computed weighted rating;
- if with teaching experience: copy of service record, performance rating, and clearance;
- sworn certification from the Barangay Chairman confirming teacher-applicant is a bona fide resident of the barangay; and
- certificate of specialized training, if any.
Each applicant must assume full responsibility for the correctness and authenticity of submitted documents.

Scoring criteria for ranking

The ranking uses two categories with a total of 100 points per category.
Category I scoring totals 100 points, composed of:
- Education: 40 pts.
- Interview: 30 pts.
- Teaching Experience: 20 pts.
- Specialized Training/Skills: 10 pts.
For Category I Education (40 pts.), points are awarded based on accreditation level of teacher education institutions found in Annex B, with an additional system for non-accredited schools:
- Non-accredited schools may receive education points if the percentage of passers is above the national passing average for the year:
  - 41-60% above the national passing average: 8 pts.
  - 21-40% above the national passing average: 6 pts.
  - 1-20% above the national passing average: 3 pts.
- The passing average of non-accredited schools for the past five years is found in Annex C.
Category I Academic Performance (25 pts.) is based on weighted average rating points:
- 1.0–1.25: 25 pts.
- 1.26–1.50: 20 pts.
- 1.56–1.75: 15 pts.
- 1.76–2.00: 10 pts.
- 2.01–2.50: 5 pts.
- 2.5–3.00: 1 pt.
Category I Interview (30 pts.) includes:
- oral communication skills: 10 pts.
- written communication skills: 5 pts.
- potential: 5 pts.
- attitude: 5 pts.
- personality: 5 pts.
Category I Teaching Experience in Basic Education (20 pts.) is scored by years:
- 5 years and above: 20 pts.
- 4 years: 16 pts.
- 3 years: 12 pts.
- 2 years: 8 pts.
- 1 year and below: 4 pts.
Category I Specialized Training/Skills (10 pts.) gives 2 points per specialized training/skill (supported with documents) such as journalism, sports, music, theatre arts, information technology, etc., but does not exceed 10 points.
Category II scoring totals 100 points, composed of:
- Education: 40 pts.
- LET/PBET Rating: 20 pts.
- Interview: 20 pts.
- Teaching Experience: 10 pts.
- Specialized Training/Skills: 10 pts.
Category II Education (40 pts.) includes:
- accreditation level of teacher education institution: up to 15 pts. based on:
  - Level I: 5 pts
  - Level II: 10 pts
  - Level III & IV: 15 pts
- non-accredited school scoring based on passing average above the national passing average for the year:
  - 41-60% above: 5 pts.
  - 21-40% above: 3 pts.
  - 1-20% above: 1 pt.
- the passing average of non-accredited schools for the past five years is found in Annex C.
Category II Academic Performance (25 pts.) uses the same weighted average rating to points grid as Category I:
- 1.00–1.25: 25 pts.
- 1.26–1.50: 20 pts.
- 1.56–1.75: 15 pts.
- 1.76–2.00: 10 pts.
- 2.01–2.50: 5 pts.
- 2.50–3.00: 1 pt.
Category II LET/PBET Rating (20 pts.) provides minimum points and point mapping:
- A minimum of 5 points shall be given to a LET/PBET passer.
- LET rating points:
  - 76: 1 pt
  - 85-86: 6 pts.
  - 94: 11 pts.
  - 77-78: 2 pts.
  - 87-88: 7 pts.
  - 95: 12 pts.
  - 79-80: 3 pts.
  - 89-90: 8 pts.
  - 96: 13 pts.
  - 81-82: 4 pts.
  - 91-92: 9 pts.
  - 97: 14 pts.
  - 83-84: 5 pts.
  - 93: 10 pts.
  - 98+: 15 pts.
- PBET rating points:
  - 71: 1 pt
  - 80-81: 6 pts.
  - 90-91: 11 pts.
  - 72-73: 2 pts.
  - 82-83: 7 pts.
  - 92-93: 12 pts.
  - 74-75: 3 pts.
  - 84-85: 8 pts.
  - 94-95: 13 pts.
  - 76-77: 4 pts.
  - 86-87: 9 pts.
  - 96-97: 14 pts.
  - 78-79: 5 pts.
  - 88-89: 10 pts.
  - 98-99: 15 pts.
Category II Interview (20 pts.) includes:
- oral communication skills: 5.0 pts.
- written communication skills: 5.0 pts.
- potential: 5.0 pts.
- attitude: 2.5 pts.
- personality: 2.5 pts.
Category II Teaching Experience in Basic Education (10 pts.) is scored by years:
- 5 years and above: 10 pts.
- 4 years: 8 pts.
- 3 years: 6 pts.
- 2 years: 4 pts.
- 1 year and above: 2 pts.
Category II Specialized Training/Skills (10 pts.) gives 2 points per specialized training/skill (supported with documents) such as journalism, sports, music, theatre arts, information technology, etc., but does not exceed 10 points.

Registry cutoffs and first-year rule

Based on total points from school-level assessment submitted to the Schools Division Superintendent, a separate registry/pool shall be established for every elementary and secondary school, valid for three (3) years.
For the first year of implementation, teacher-applicants who obtained 50% and above of the total points are eligible for inclusion in the registry/pool.
Schools Division Superintendents may increase cut-off points for succeeding years based on results in their respective divisions.

Filling vacancies and residency priority

Vacant Teacher I positions in public elementary or secondary schools shall be filled by appointment or assignment of teacher-applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are bona fide residents.
Filling follows the order of priority based on residency:
- First priority: residents of the barangay where the school is located.
- Second priority: residents of the municipality where the school is located.
- Third priority: residents of the city or province where the school is located.
When two or more teacher-applicants are residents of the same barangay, municipality, city, or province, their appointment or assignment shall be determined by their ranking in the registry/pool.
For a secondary school vacancy where there is no qualified teacher-applicant in the preferred specialization area, the school may accept qualified teacher-applicants from nearby localities, provided they are included in the secondary school registry/pool.

Protest rights and timelines

Teacher-applicants whose names appear in the registry/pool in a schools division office have the right to protest an appointment or assignment under the second paragraph of Section 1 of Republic Act No. 8190.
Protests must be subscribed and sworn, and filed in triplicate copies in the regional office concerned.
Protests regarding appointment or assignment of classroom public school teachers prescribe in three months from issuance of the appointment or assignment.
A protest must be in the form of a letter-complaint.
A letter-complaint must be filed within ninety days from the issuance of the appointment or assignment.
Upon receipt of the complaint, the Regional Director shall furnish a copy of the complaint to the appointing authority/assigning official within seventy-two hours.
The appointing authority/assigning official shall have fifteen days to answer, furnishing the complainant a copy.
The complainant shall have fifteen days to submit or refute the reply.
The Regional Director shall decide within fifteen days, with appeal to the Secretary, then to the Civil Service Commission.

Administrative sanctions, repeals, and separability

Any person found guilty of violating these guidelines or parts thereof shall be dealt with administratively.
All rules, regulations, and issuances inconsistent with these guidelines are repealed or modified accordingly.