THE Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday warned that severe cyberbullying “face strict disciplinary penalties under newly consolidated guidelines.”
“Our learners have proven that they have the grit, curiosity and drive to improve, as shown by our gains across all PISA domains. However, our children must also feel safe,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.
The PISA, or Program for International Student Assessment, is undertaken by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Looking at PISA results for the Philippines from 2018, 2022 and 2025, presented by Angara on Tuesday, learners reporting that they were hit or pushed around by other learners have decreased by 17 percentage points by the time of the latest assessment.
“While we take note that physical bullying reports are down compared to 2018, the PISA findings reinforce that cyberbullying is a serious challenge that requires a firm, direct response. Our guidelines establish clear due process, but online cruelty will not be tolerated. Safe digital spaces are nonnegotiable for basic education,” Angara said.
The DepEd said in its statement that the enhanced measures under DepEd Order 6 of 2026, or the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment, “expand school authority over off-campus online conduct if it creates a hostile environment, violates a learner’s rights, or disrupts school operations.”
“Severe cyberbullying, such as sharing degrading videos, circulating explicit content, or threatening learners and staff on social media, are classified as high-level offenses that trigger formal investigations and disciplinary actions ranging from suspension to non-readmission to full exclusion — dropping the learner from the school list into alternative education — along with potential legal liability,” the DepEd said.
The department said that in observance of Safer Internet Day, it, in partnership with the Stairway Foundation Inc., “conducted classroom-based discussions on online risks and cyberbullying.” The discussions reached about 4.9 million learners.
“Through its Kaagapay Program, DepEd empowers parents and parent substitutes to recognize online threats and discuss these sensitive topics with their children,” it said.
“Furthermore, schools are encouraging participation in sports, youth formation programs, such as sports clubs, learner government, school clubs, scouting, journalism, and the arts to channel their energies into more productive and meaningful pursuits,” it said.
In line with efforts to protect schools from online threats, the department recently convened a high-level interagency meeting to establish a threat assessment and verification mechanism.
“The proposed end-to-end operational framework standardizes every step of an incident, from initial threat reporting and evidence preservation to technical verification, protective action and formal case closure,” it said.
