The Civil Service Commission has yet to approve the qualification standards needed for the Department of Education to hire 10,000 school counselor associates in 2026.
MANILA, Philippines – Lawmakers on Monday, June 29, shouted Department of Education (DepEd) and Public Service Commission (CSC) for delays in hiring school counselor partners who are supposed to assist public schools in providing mental health services to students.
The call was made at a House basic education committee hearing, following recent incidents of school violence, including massacre of people killed in Tacloban city a situation that caused the death of three students and 20 others were injured.
Pasig City Representative Roman RomuloThe chairman of the panel emphasized that there are less than 8,000 registered psychologists and counselors in the country.
He noted that this shortage led to the adoption of Republic Act 12080or the Elementary Education Mental Health and Wellness Promotion Act, which requires the creation of a school counselor associate position. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed it in December 2024.
“That law is still 2024, where are we now? (The law was passed in 2024. Where are we now?)” Romulo questioned.
“Under the GAA (General Appropriations Act) 2026, you were given 10,000 items to hire school counselor partners, and you also have registered counselors. What’s going on there?”
About P2 billion was earmarked in the 2026 budget for the hiring of 10,000 school counselors.
Under the law, those who can be employed as school counselors are graduates who obtained a bachelor’s degree in guidance and counseling or psychology, or college graduates with at least 18 units of guidance and counseling, psychology or behavioral science, and must have 200 hours of training. They will have a salary grade of 11 to 15.
Education Assistant Secretary Wilfredo Cabral admitted that DepEd has not yet hired school counselors since the law was passed, but explained that the problem now lies with the CSC.
Cabral said they have already prepared the job description and submitted the qualifications for the position to be approved by the CSC in November 2025. As of January 2026, the commission questioned the provision requiring 200 hours of training for school counselor associates, to which DepEd responded that it was mandated by law.
“By June 3 this year, we were informed that we were already (with) the commission for approval, and so we sent another follow-up letter… mentioning, among other things, that the creation of (space) is subject to approval,” he said.
Romulo asked CSC when they would give the approval. “It is inevitable, the people of the town will think (that) that is why you are moving suddenly because Tacloban has already happened,” he added.
(It will be inevitable for the public to think that you are taking action now because of what happened in Tacloban.)
Christian Dawn Molina, acting director of CSC’s Office of Resource Policy and Standards, said only that the decision “should be made soon.”
“I cannot make any definite schedule. I apologize, Mr. Chairman, but the commission certainly recognizes the urgency,” Molina said.
The The Second Parliamentary Commission on Education formerly denoted a scarcity of principals and guidance counselors in public schools, which contributes increasing the problem of bullying in the country.
San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where two children carried out a shooting on June 22, does not have a registered counselor. There are also only three counselors registered with DepEd in the city.
DepEd in Tacloban City had to rely on a network of experts from government agencies, religious groups, and other non-governmental organizations set initial responses to the healing of the school community.
School safety measures
Safety and security measures schools were also addressed during Monday’s hearing.
Education Assistant Secretary Roger Masapol told lawmakers that DepEd plans to make bag checks mandatory in public schools. But the agency is still studying how to implement the policy based on the size of the school population.
DepEd will also seek a bigger budget and more plant positions for public school guards, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in a random interview at the Alfonso Castañeda National High School in Nueva Vizcaya.
Angara said there was a reduction in the number of security guards before he became DepEd chief in July 2024.
“There are only 200 left, looking at our 48,000 schools. Some schools need more than one guard,” He said.
(There are only 200 positions left, but we have about 48,000 schools. Some schools need more than one security guard.)
DepEd will also update its emergency protocols to include shooting incidents and establish a reporting mechanism for online shooting threats, according to Masapol. – Rappler.com
