Angara sounds alarm as school bullying cases in NCR rise
An anti-bullying exhibit at the St. Louis University Laboratory Elementary School (SLU-LES). Photo by Richard Balonglong Inquirer.
MANILA, Philippines — Bullying incidents in Metro Manila during school year (SY) 2024 to 2025 rose to 2,500, said the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday.
According to a statement from the DepEd, the figures were presented during what it described as its largest-ever Executive Committee (Execom) meeting, which was held to tackle the growing cases of bullying in schools nationwide.
READ: DepEd slams bullying in schools; pushes safe spaces for students
Based on data presented during the meeting, the DepEd National Capital Region recorded 2,500 cases, higher than the 2,268 incidents reported in SY 2023 to 2024.
“To effectively combat bullying, we need to work not just inside the schools, but also in the households and communities where our learners come from. This is not just a school matter, it is a national priority that demands a whole-of-government, whole-of-society response,” DepEd quoted Angara as saying.
DepEd said among the immediate measures agreed in the meeting were the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) commitment to intervene in bullying cases involving legal violations—leading to the installation of CCTVs and increased police visibility outside large urban and high-risk schools.
PNP intervention
DepEd, however, assured the public that the PNP’s intervention will strictly adhere to DepEd’s policy on data privacy and zones of peace.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development, for its part, committed to establish a Parent Effectiveness Office, which aims to educate families and address root causes such as domestic problems that may influence learner behavior.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government proposed the activation of the Comprehensive Barangay Juvenile Intervention Program, a proposal backed by the Department of Justice as “early interventions can help prevent young learners from entering the juvenile delinquency system.”
Experts from the University of the Philippines College of Education and Ateneo de Manila University also committed to assist DepEd in enhancing its Values Education and Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) curriculum by adopting integrated socio-emotional learning, emotional regulation, and conflict management.
“Additional reforms under consideration include the integration of anti-bullying policies into the Values Education and GMRC curricula, and the enrichment of the Drop-Out Reduction Program (DORP) to better address the needs of Children-at-Risk and Children in Conflict with the Law,” DepEd said.
Policy on school safety
Meanwhile, DepEd said it is already drafting a “Default Policy on School Safety and Security” which will serve as the baseline policy covering physical safety measures, clear procedures for incident reporting, sanctions for offenders, provision of psychological first aid, and financial assistance for victims of school-related incidents.
READ: Palace slams recent cases of bullying; orders probe into students’ death
This, said DepEd, will then pave the way for the development of a comprehensive School Operations Manual that consolidates all safety and discipline-related policies.
DepEd then said that it will pursue partnerships with various government agencies and stakeholders, and tap parents, alumni volunteers, and student leaders to assist in monitoring and implementing school safety initiatives.
Coordination with local government units will also be strengthened through the activation of local peace and order councils and regional and division-level helplines, in collaboration with the National Center for Mental Health.
“We must act quickly and decisively,” Angara said.
“The safety of our learners cannot wait for perfect conditions. What we need now is urgency, unity, and sustained action,” he added.
