A BILL that sought to expand and strengthen the anti-bullying law has been filed at the House of Representatives.
House Bill (HB) 10038, or the proposed Expanded Anti-Bullying Act, was filed on Wednesday by Akbayan Representatives Jose Manuel Diokno, Percival Cendaña and Dadah Kiram Ismula, together with Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao.“More than a decade after the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 10627, otherwise known as the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, bullying remains a pervasive and alarming problem in Philippine educational institutions,” the bill’s explanatory note read.HB 10038 aims to have the law apply to higher education institutions and technical-vocational schools. It also covers acts of school employees including teachers and nonteaching staff when committed outside official duties.The measure broadens the definition of bullying to include any act “that humiliates, excludes, or targets a person on the basis of perceived or actual characteristics” including “age, religious belief, culture, ethnic origin, political inclination, social class, sex characteristics, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and other status.” Under HB 10038, “any anonymous report received shall prompt the school to initiate a preliminary safety assessment.” Schools will be required to establish mechanisms to identify learners “who may be experiencing or exhibiting signs of bullying, social isolation, emotional distress, violent behavior, self-harm, or other risk factors that may affect their safety or the safety of others.” Educational institutions must train the teaching and nonteaching staff and school administrators annually on preventing bullying and de-escalating conflict.Schools must establish student support teams “composed of school administrators, guidance counselors, teachers and other appropriate personnel to assess and respond to serious or repeated incidents of bullying and other behavioral concerns.” Schools will conduct periodic assessments on “the prevalence of bullying, student well-being, school safety and the effectiveness of their anti-bullying policies.” The findings will be used “to improve policies, preventive measures, intervention programs and resource allocation, subject to data privacy and confidentiality requirements.” In a related development, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to prioritize the deployment of 10,000 school counselor associates (SCAs) to public schools with the highest incidents of bullying and campus violence.During the Senate Committee on Basic Education hearing on July 9, Gatchalian said schools with recurring cases of violence and those with heavily congested student populations should get priority once the new mental health personnel are hired.He cited schools in Valenzuela as an example where overcrowding has contributed to more disturbances and violent incidents.Gatchalian recalled that his committee had conducted an inquiry into campus safety following a series of stabbing incidents in Metro Manila. The committee later submitted 14 recommendations to the DepEd, including the full implementation of RA 12080, or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act.Under the 2026 national budget, P2 billion has been appropriated for hiring 10,000 school counselor associates, a new plantilla position created under the law to address the country’s shortage of registered guidance counselors.Gatchalian explained that while public schools have positions for registered guidance counselors, many remain vacant due to the lack of qualified professionals.“Under the law, school counselor associates can now perform functions similar to psychologists because of the shortage of registered guidance counselors in the Philippines. Even though there are positions for registered guidance counselors, there is no one available, so we created the School Counselor Associate I position,” he said.The SCAs will provide school-based mental health services, psychosocial support, career guidance and interventions aimed at promoting students’ overall well-being.Gatchalian also sought an update from the DepEd on the hiring process, noting that the 10,000 positions are expected to serve nearly 46,000 public schools nationwide.Responding to the inquiry, DepEd Undersecretary Wilfredo Cabral said the Civil Service Commission has approved the qualification standards for the new position.Cabral added that the agency has resubmitted its request to the Department of Budget and Management for the issuance of the Notice of Organization, Staffing and Compensation Action, which will formally authorize the creation of the positions.Cabral said the department plans to deploy the first batch of school counselor associates by September.
