The Department of Education (DepEd) in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has opened 104 additional permanent teaching positions for the current school year, reserved exclusively for returning Overseas Filipino Workers under the “Sa Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am at Sir” (SPIMS) program.
The initiative is a collaboration between the Department of Education and the Department of Migrant Workers.
Arnel Billy Lim of the DepEd CAR Human Resource Division assured the public that these positions will not take job openings away from local applicants saying these are extra positions created by the agency’s central office specifically for the program.
“Itong SPIMS kasi hindi nila tinatanggalan ng items yung mga dating nag-a-apply na sa ating bansa. Itong mga SPIMS items ay additional to the items, regular items that are allotted for the Department of Education,” said Lim
Lim said beneficiaries go through the same interview and evaluation process as local applicants, but they do not have a cut-off score.
As long as beneficiaries complete the process and submit the required documents, they are guaranteed a position, according to Lim.
Approved educators have until August 28, 2026, to finalize their appointments at their respective local Schools Division Offices.
In addition to standard teacher benefits, regular salaries, medical leave and a P10,000 annual cash allowance, program beneficiaries receive an exclusive P20,000 voucher to help purchase classroom and teaching materials.
Cheryl Daytec – Yangot, Department of Migrant Workers (DMW – CAR) regional director, highlighted the uniqueness of the financial aid, noting that returning workers who avail of the program are fortunate to receive the 20,000-peso voucher, as they are the only ones given that specific amount.
To qualify for the program, applicants must hold a valid professional teaching license from the Professional Regulation Commission and must have returned to the Philippines within three years of their last overseas employment date.
Carla Francesca Sauro, administrative officer of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), said the primary qualifications require applicants to be returning workers who arrived in the country no more than three years from their last date of arrival, and they must hold a valid professional license.
The program does not restrict applicants based on the duration of their stay abroad. It also accepts licensed teachers who worked overseas in entirely unrelated fields, such as domestic or service work, provided they can prove they were employed overseas. Stesha Lev Tamangen |UC Intern
