17/08/2026
DepEd Outlines Transition Plan for Sulu: Addresses Plantilla Items, Qualification Standards, and Teacher Regularization
SULU - Sulu Officials are actively coordinating with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to address the administrative and staffing needs of Sulu’s Transition from BARMM. to Region 9 .
During a recent meeting with Government Agencies Region IX Directors and their designated representatives at the Provincial Capitol, Sulu Governor Toto Tan II and Vice Governor Abdusakur M. Tan sought agency officials support towards a smooth administrative transition process, and secure thousands of plantilla items, resolve qualification discrepancies, and gaps in program policies and priorities from BARMM towards the national spectrum.
Securing Plantilla Items and DBM Coordination
Local officials emphasized the critical need to gather solid data to properly justify their requests to the DBM. The transition involves processing a massive volume of personnel records:
Department of Education IX , Dr. Alhadzmar Lantaka (RD representative) outlined Key Highlights of Dep Ed Transition Strategy
1. Mass Plantilla Allocation: The Department of Education (DepEd) is pushing for approximately 5,000 plantilla positions tailored to Sulu’s educational requirements. This includes an initial extension batch of 1,400 creation items targeted for implementation by January 1, 2027, alongside the transfer and restructuring of 3,627 existing items.
2. Five-Year Grace Period for Principals: To address discrepancies between Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and national Qualification Standards (QS), around 70 to 80 affected school principals lacking national principal exam eligibility will be accommodated as Principal I. Modeled after the Senior High School transition framework, they will be granted a 5-year period to obtain the required qualifications without suffering salary reduction or demotion.
2. Protection for Provisional Teachers: Officials emphasized absorbing non-eligible or provisional teachers into permanent positions gradually through new item allocations rather than subjecting them to immediate termination or re-application hurdles.
3. Inter-Agency Coordination: Technical Working Groups (TWGs) at national, regional, and division levels are actively collaborating with DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to finalize budget representations and structural staffing frameworks.
Addressing Qualification Mismatches and Administrative Restructuring
During the consultative meeting, Dr. Lantaka highlighted the necessity of aligning local position structures with national civil service standards while safeguarding worker welfare under Executive Order directives.
While BARMM guidelines previously permitted certain appointments without national civil service exam requirements, National DepEd policies mandate strict qualification standards for administrative and supervisory roles, including Assistant Schools Division Superintendents and Principals.
"Our role at the regional level is to oversee the transition and ensure everything is in order," stated Lantaka . "We requested a 5-year grace period so we can help and ensure these educators are fully accommodated into the national system."
The division structure for Sulu has also been upgraded from an existing 40-item setup to an 84-item organizational structure tailored to full division operational capacity.
Funding and Next Steps
Officials are consolidating data to submit formal representations to the DBM to halt pending cancellations and approve the necessary budget items for the region’s teaching and non-teaching personnel.
Coordination through the National TWG remains ongoing to finalize the transfer of items, ensuring uninterrupted educational delivery across schools in Sulu throughout the transition process.
Other agencies have also signified their support and cooperation for the achievement of the same objective .
The following regional directors and designated representatives were present during the coordination meeting and provided their respective agency’s service programs thru the “Serbisyo Caravan in Sulu “,held at the Sulu Capitol Gymnasium, a one stop caravan of government services. Bringing Government Services Closer to the people.
DENR, Region 9 - Dir. Marie Angelique C. Go (Regional Executive Director)
Department of Agriculture RFO9 - RTD Maria Melba B. Wee
Department of Trade and Industry - Engr. Al-Zamir I. Lipae
DILG IX- Pablio L. Benitez, Jr., PhD, CESO V
DEPED RO IX - Dr. Alhadzmar Lantaka (RD Rep)
Police Regional Office 9 - PMAJ Shellamie T. Chang (RD Rep)
DICT-9 - Jacob F. Mohammad (Asst Regional Director)
DSWD - Usay J. Kuyong Jr. (Supervising Administrative Officer)
PDEA RO9 - Bryan Babang - Regional Director
Commission on Population and Development IX - Mary Rose Yu
DMW 9- Marrieta Belontindos (RD Rep)
DENR- EMB-9 - Karen C. Tandang (RD Rep)
National Commision on Senior Citizens 9 - Dir. Fernando D. Sumondong - Regional Director
DOLE 9 - Albert Gutib - Regional Director
DOH 9 - Dr. Lenny Joy Johnson - Rivera (Regional Director)
PRC - Jorge Duterte ( RD Rep)
GSIS 9 - Mary Jean Mapanao (Head)
Department of Tourism- RD Dara May L. Cataluña
BFAR- Al -Zath K. Kunting - Regional Director
DENR - Mine and Geosciences Bureau IX - Engr. Karll Colleen Contreras
Philippine Information Agency IX - Jocelyn Alvarez OIC-RD
TESDA
SSS -
Philhealth
BJMP
AFP
(August 15, 2026, Sulu Provincial Capitol, Brgy Bangkal, Patikul, Sulu)
