SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is calling on the government to urgently address the country’s ongoing shortage of 30,000 teachers, warning that Filipino students’ learning is at risk if the issue remains unresolved.

Gatchalian emphasized the need for a multi-faceted approach to immediately tackle the shortage.

He urged the Department of Education to fast-track the hiring process for its current unfilled teaching positions, noting that delays only increase the burden on existing educators and compromise the quality of education.

“We must expedite the hiring for the Department of Education’s unfilled positions,” the senator said.

“We should also develop strategies to attract our best learners to the teaching profession,” he added.

Gatchalian also proposed tapping into local resources, particularly through local government units and school boards, to support the recruitment of additional teaching staff.

“Kung kulang tayo sa mga guro, ang pagkatuto ng ating mga mag-aaral ang lubos na maaapektuhan,” he warned, underscoring how the lack of teachers directly affects student learning outcomes.

The senator, a known education advocate, has been pushing for reforms and stronger support for the teaching sector to ensure every Filipino student has access to quality education.

He called on relevant agencies to work collaboratively and act swiftly to avoid further disruptions in classrooms across the country.