Grant of Continuing Authority from COMELEC to Appoint or Hire New Employees in the Department of Education During the Prohibited Period of the 2025 National and Local Elections

For the information and guidance of all concerned, enclosed is a copy of Memorandum No. 25-04018 dated March 7, 2025, from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Law Department, approving the request for the Grant of Continuing Authority to Appoint or Hire New Employees in the Department of Education (DepEd) During the Prohibited Period of the 2025 National and Local Elections.

In this connection, the grant of continuing authority shall apply to the appointment or hiring of personnel at all levels of governance in DepEd from March 28, 2025 to May 11, 2025, and shall be subject to the following conditions:
    a. The authorization shall be limited to orders to appoint or hire new employees, particularly teaching, related-teaching, and nonteaching personnel, signed and issued by Secretary Sonny Angara or his authorized representative;
    b. The said appointment or hiring is essential to the proper functioning of the office and shall not in any manner influence the conduct of the May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections;
    c. The same shall not involve promotion or the giving of any increase of salary or remuneration or privilege, which is strictly prohibited during the 45-day period before the May 12, 2025 national and local elections without any exception whatsoever;
    d. This authorization shall be prospective in application and without prejudice to the applicable Civil Service Law, rules, and regulations on personnel actions/movements; and
    e. Proper notices prescribed and required under Section 28(d) of COMELEC Resolution No. 11059 shall be promptly sent to the COMELEC through the Law Department.

The signing authorities on appointments under DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2024 titled Revised Designation of Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries to the Strands and Functional Areas of Responsibilities and Revised Signing Authorities on Human Resource Actions is temporarily suspended during the prohibited period from March 28, 2025 to May 11, 2025. All appointments shall be submitted to the Office of the Secretary through the Office of the Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development. Copies of appointments for signature shall be accompanied by a summary using the template, which can be downloaded through this link: https://tinyurl.com/BHROD-PDtemplates. The signing authority in the appointment shall be in the following manner:

By the Authority of the Secretary:
PETER IRVING C. CORVERA
Undersecretary
Office of the Secretary

Read the full text of  DM 029, s. 2025

Source: https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/DM_s2025_029.pdf