Angara: Guidance counselor shortage worsens amid bullying surge in PH schools

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday admitted that the Philippines is grappling with a severe shortage of guidance counselors, even as cases of bullying among students continue to rise.

At the House of Representatives’ appropriations committee hearing, Angara said there are only 4,069 licensed guidance counselors in the country as of 2022—far short of the more than 50,000 needed to meet the recommended global ratio of one counselor for every 250 students.

“There’s a long-term plan, but the implementation of the mental health and well-being will cost over a trillion pesos, so it can’t be funded overnight,” Angara said, responding to Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel’s query. 

"And the over 50,000 filling up of positions you raised—according to the psychology professionals, there are only 32,000 psychometricians in the country. So there’s also a supply problem.”

The education chief also noted that universities are struggling to attract enrollees in guidance counseling courses, with some regions reporting “zero takers” in recent years. 

To cope, the Department of Education (DepEd) has resorted to creating “counselor associate” posts, though these cannot fully substitute for licensed professionals.

The shortage comes at a time when the Philippines continues to rank as the “world’s bullying capital.”

Based on the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) findings released in August, 63% of Grade 5 pupils reported experiencing bullying, nearly double the international average of 31 percent. 

The most common forms of bullying were verbal harassment, physical violence, and exclusion by peers.

To strengthen protection for students, DepEd earlier this year revised the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013. 

The new guidelines expand the definition of bullying, clarify disciplinary measures, and obligate both public and private schools to immediately act on reported cases.

But education stakeholders warn that enforcement will remain difficult without enough trained professionals on the ground. Guidance counselors are expected to play a key role not only in handling bullying cases but also in supporting students’ mental health needs—a demand that has grown in the wake of pandemic disruptions and learning losses.

“The gap is staggering,” one official noted. “Even if schools want to comply, they simply don’t have enough qualified people to address the psychosocial needs of millions of learners.”

Lawmakers have urged DepEd and the Commission on Higher Education to invest in incentives and scholarship programs that could encourage more students to enter the guidance counseling profession, saying that without urgent intervention, the country’s children remain vulnerable both inside and outside the classroom. —KG, GMA Integrated News