Gab Ibis

The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to closely monitor schools for stricter compliance with anti-bullying policies, Secretary Eduardo Angara announced on August 13 at Malacañang, following a statement that the Philippines is now the “bullying capital of the world.”

Photo Courtesy of GMA Network/Philippine STAR.

While schools are mandated to have anti-bullying policies, Angara noted that this does not dictate the observance of these policies.

"Each school is required to have an anti-bullying policy, pero hindi sinasabi ng batas kung how strict they have to be pero kailangan may policy," Angara said, highlighting the lack of rigour in current implementations.

He underscored the urgency for DepEd to actively monitor and ensure compliance with this law.

This move came from the findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), that revealed the country has become the “bullying capital” — a trend that directly impacted students’ academic performance.

"[The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)] results showed that those who are bullied tend to perform poorly; the impact is significant,” Karol Mark Yee, executive director of EDCOM 2 said, linking a safe school environment to improved academic outcomes.

Yee pointed out that students from the country are among the “loneliest” worldwide, a sentiment echoed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who has directed concerned agencies to address this issue.

''Nabanggit ni Presidente may nabasa siyang article na may Singapore study that says that the loneliest students in the world are Filipinos. That is also in the PISA data, the Filipino students feel that they don't belong,'' Yee said.

In addition to policy compliance, Angara stressed the importance of having guidance counsellors available in schools, noting a significant shortage of at least 5,000 counsellors nationwide.

"Para maging isang guidance counselor, nasa batas kailangan magka-master's degree ka. Number one, 'yun ang naging problema," Angara said.

To bridge this gap, DepEd, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHEE) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC), plan to fill these vacancies with graduates in guidance counselling, psychology or related fields, providing them with a five-year grace period to obtain the necessary credentials.

Recognizing the impact of cyberbullying, Angara also addressed the challenges posed by digital platforms.

"There is a lot of bullying happening on social media and other digital platforms," Angara said.