Angara: DepEd needs 48,000 counselor associates; only 10,000 funded in 2026

The Department of Education (DepEd) needs to hire 48,000 school counselor associates nationwide, but its 2026 budget currently covers only 10,000 positions, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said Wednesday.

Angara said the goal is to eventually have one school counselor associate in every school to strengthen mental health and psychosocial support for learners.

“We need to hire 48,000 student counselor associates, one for every school. But our budget for 2026 only covers 10,000,” Angara said in a Balitanghali interview.

Hiring additional school counselor associates is among the measures DepEd is pursuing in the wake of a series of school violence incidents, including Tuesday’s shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University that left two students dead, including the alleged shooter, and another student injured.

For 2026, DepEd has a ₱1.015-trillion budget, according to the department’s budget breakdown. Of this amount, ₱705.79 billion is allocated for the salaries and benefits of teachers and non-teaching personnel.

The allocation includes ₱471.06 billion for permanent positions, ₱1.74 billion for teaching overload honoraria, ₱4.82 billion for special hardship allowances for teachers in difficult or remote assignments, and ₱53.94 billion for retirement and life insurance premiums.

He said DepEd hopes to secure additional funding in 2027 so it can gradually fill the remaining school counselor positions.

Angara said the shortage of professional guidance counselors is partly due to the minimum requirement for a master’s degree, which limits the pool of qualified applicants.

“That’s why we are hiring 10,000 school counselor associates because we cannot hire enough guidance counselors, as guidance counselors are required to have a master’s degree,” he said.

The counselor associates are expected to help identify warning signs among students and provide support to those who may be experiencing difficulties.

“Sometimes, all a child needs is someone to talk to, so they don’t feel that they have nowhere to go or no one to turn to,” Angara said.

Angara said funding the remaining positions would require several billion pesos, noting that the hiring could be done gradually over three to five years depending on available resources.

Not all public schools have security guards

Angara also acknowledged that not all public schools have security guards, citing budget constraints.

He said some local government units, private organizations and parent-teacher groups help provide security in schools.

For smaller schools with around 100 students or fewer, barangay tanods (village watchmen) may also help patrol school entrances, particularly during students’ arrival and dismissal.

“Not all schools have them yet because DepEd really lacks the budget for this,” Angara said.

Angara said DepEd is pursuing both physical security measures and mental health and psychosocial interventions to strengthen school safety.— MCG, GMA News