The Department of Education (DepEd) will lead the national launch of the School Mental Health Program and kick-off of the School-Based Feeding Program for Fiscal year (FY) 2024.
The launch and the kick-off will take place at the Esteban Abada Elementary School in Quezon City on Jan. 24 based on an advisory issued by DepEd.
Mental health program, SBFP
In a Palace briefing early this month, officials of the DepEd underscored the importance of strengthening mental health programs in schools, especially amid reports of bullying.
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https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/12/dep-ed-records-178-cases-of-bullying-since-2022
DepEd Undersecretary and Spokesperson Michael Poa explained how bullying can be associated with mental health.
“Bullying, whether from the bully or the one being bullied, has a mental health aspect. So, that is something we are also addressing right now,” Poa said.
Along with the Department of Health (DOH), Poa said that DepEd has been crafting the guidelines for a mental health program for schools.
Poa said that a budget has also been allocated for the implementation of mental health programs in schools which would include counseling, advocacies, and referral to the experts through DOH.
“This is something that we are doing with the DOH because as we say, this is really a mental health issue — when you talk about bullying you have to talk about mental health issues,” he added.
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On the response side, Poa said that the LRPO aims to ensure that at the school level, there is reporting in the system.
DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Teaching Gina Gonong, in the same briefing, also underscored the importance of seeking support from stakeholders, especially in addressing bullying.
“Addressing bullying can’t just be DepEd’s responsibility so we’re reviewing mechanisms to address bullying in schools,” Gonong said. “We need to engage our parents and the communities to reduce if not to eliminate bullying in schools,” she added.
In the same briefing, Poa also noted that the current administration is also focusing on the health of Filipino learners.
Recognizing how health directly affects the performance of students, Poa said that the SBFP has also been extended to cover the entire school year.
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