Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1) — The Senate Committee on Basic Education is set to endorse the Department of Education’s (DepEd) request to increase the salary of guidance counselors to ensure that students have enough access to mental health programs as more of them suffer from mental health issues.
‘
In 2021, DepEd recorded 404 students who took their own lives and another 2,147 attempted suicide cases involving learners, DepEd Assistant Secretary Dexter Galban said during a Tuesday hearing.
‘
The mental health crisis is only one of a host of problems faced by the education sector, which is also saddled by a shortage of classrooms, lack of resources, underpaid and overworked teachers, poor academic performance of students and learning losses as a result of extended pandemic lockdowns.
‘
“This is an alarming rate that continues to go up,” Galban added, “given that the transition from online to face-to-face classes can also put a strain on our learners, in the same light that the transition from face-to-face to online provided a strain on them.”
‘
He said at least 775,962 of 28 million students sought guidance counseling in 2021.
‘
“We believe that this is potentially underreported given the lack of guidance counselors in schools,” Galban said.
‘
He added that 8,000 of those who sought guidance counseling were involved in bullying, and the number of such cases could also be underreported.
‘
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the committee, said the pay raise will help address the shortage of guidance counselors in public schools, enabling more students to access counseling in times of emotional distress.
‘
Citing a 2021 study of the University of the Philippines Population Institute, Gatchalian said 20% of young Filipinos are considered suicidal.
‘
A 2015 Global School-based Student Health Survey also showed there is a rise in the number of students in the Philippines who have suicidal thoughts. These students are from 13 to 17 years old.
‘
According to the same survey in 2019, 23.1% of the respondents considered attempting suicide 12 months before the survey while 24.3% attempted suicide at least once during the same period.
‘
“We will endorse the request of the DepEd to increase the salary of our guidance counselors because currently they are receiving Salary Grade (SG) 11, an entry level pay for teachers, but the requirement is a master’s degree,” Gatchalian said.
‘
“So DepEd’s request is to increase (it) from SG 11 to SG 16, so that more guidance counselors would enter the force,” he added.
‘
Senate Bill No. 379, or the proposed Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act filed in 2022, aims to increase the pay of Guidance Counselor I from SG 11 (P25,439) to SG 16 (P38,150), Guidance Counselor II from SG 12 (P27,608) to SG 17 (P41,508), and Guidance Counselor III from SG 13 (P29,798) to SG 18 (P45,203).
‘
‘
According to Gatchalian, author of the bill, the country only has about 4,000 guidance counselors, but it needs 47,000.
‘
“So there is still about 43,000 missing,” he said. “So this is where the law comes in.”
‘
Gatchalian also said teachers should be trained to counsel students as they are the ones who observe the children’s behavior inside the classroom.
‘
The House of Representatives, meanwhile, approved a bill creating a mental health office in school divisions.
‘
House Bill No. 6574 mandates the hiring and deployment of mental health professionals to public elementary and secondary schools, vocational institutions, and offices in the central, regional, and school division governance levels of the DepEd within five years.
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
‘
