The Department of Education (DepEd) is bracing for major changes in the bureaucracy as Education Secretary Armin Luistro announced that he will trim the workforce and reorganize it to maximize the use of the agency’s limited budget.

“The very first order is to really cut down on costs, starting with myself and in my office, in every instant where there are unnecessary items that could be delayed,” he stated.

Luistro is looking into streamlining to maximize the use of DepEd’s limited budget for this year which is P172 billion. “The budget should be trimmed down to essentials,” he said. He explained that in the DepEd budget, almost 90 percent is usually used to pay the salaries and wages of personnel. “These include almost half a million teachers, almost 50,000 non-teaching personnel, officials, and rank-and-file employees,” he said.

By trimming the DepEd bureaucracy and keeping only those who are needed, particularly at the central office, Luistro said this will make the agency more responsive to the needs from the field. “Reorganizing the central office by trimming down the non-teaching personnel will make it more responsive to the needs of the regional and division office,” he said.

With the exception of Undersecretary Ramon Bacani and Vilma Labrador – who are both retiring in August – Luistro said that the terms of Undersecretary Franklin Sunga, Manoros Boransing, and Antonio Inocentes will end today, as provided for under Memorandum Circular No. 1 issued by Malacañang and signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.

He also instructed regional directors and division officers to do away with welcome parties for the Education secretary or other high-ranking officials when they come for a visit. “They should do away with showy and festive welcoming parties to cut down on costs,” he said.

Luistro said that reforms would not be feasible if the DepEd employees see that the Central Office is not doing its own share. “We should set a good example because reforms should be implemented in the grassroots level,” he added.

The DepEd chief also reminded the officials to “set examples of movement for essential change” by disclosing their assets and follow the protocols in accepting gifts and invites. “Our external public image is also important to institute changes in the system,” he said. However, he assured that the streamlining, which is being studied under his term, “will be done within the bounds of the law along with the review of all DepEd assets.”

Luistro’s move was also backed up by the almost 40,000 members and officials of the DepEd National Employees Union (DepEd-NEU) who earlier claimed that DepEd – under former Secretary Mona Valisno – re-hired co-terminus employees and extended the services of undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, directors, and consultants at the central office.

Documents shown by DepEd-NEU president Domingo Alidon revealed that there are around 741 consultants currently employed by DepEd central office in contrast to the 900 permanent employees. “The bulk of the number of consultants is under the Office of the Secretary.”

Streamlining is one of the “parameters” that DepEd-NEU suggested for Secretary Luistro to be able to manage the department properly and “to promote harmony between the administration and the union.”

Other parameters include shunning politicking in the DepEd by not letting government officials interfere in the selection of school officials and other education employees; respecting the right of DepEd employees to form a union; promoting transparency in all the dealings of the department; and continuation of good reform programs implemented by past secretaries, and the policy prohibiting unfit employees from taking a higher job.