To resolve issues within guidance counseling programs, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) was urged on Tuesday, Oct. 1, to prioritize the implementation of essential courses and the reconstitution of technical panels.
During CHED’s 2025 budget hearing in the Senate, Chairperson Popoy De Vera cited mental health concerns as one of the main reasons for student dropout.
EDCOM 2 Commissioner Senator Joel Villanueva pointed out the shortage of guidance counselors, a profession struggling with low enrollment and graduation rates due to its restricted career path in the education sector.
Scarcity of graduates: A major issue
Citing data from EDCOM 2, Villanueva also underscored that in the Department of Education (DepEd), only around 2,000 guidance counselors serve approximately 28 million students.
EDCOM 2 pointed out that while higher education institutions have a more favorable guidance counselor-to-student ratio, the scarcity of graduates from guidance and counseling programs remains a “major issue.”
De Vera disclosed that only 43 higher education institutions (HEIs) offer guidance and counseling programs nationwide, calling the career path in the field "a dead end."
“There are actually regions in the Philippines where no university offers guidance counseling—so you can imagine how challenging it would be to produce guidance counselors,” De Vera said.
“In our data, Region II and Region IX have no HEIs offering guidance and counseling…We hope that Congress can amend the law fast enough so that we can produce enough guidance counselors,” he added.
Given this, EDCOM 2 Commissioner Senator Pia Cayetano underscored the urgent need to “fast-track the courses that we are in dire need of.”
Cayetano also suggested a possible educational pathway where students pursuing professional degrees such as education could complete an additional 12 to 18 units to qualify as “school counselor associates.”
De Vera, for CHED’s part, welcomed the suggestion and committed to addressing the shortage.
“We’re very interested in being part of the initiative. We can also adapt what we are doing in the enhanced master’s program in nursing, which recognizes prior learning and experience, so students do not need to take all the units,” De Vera said.
“We achieved that program in two months; hopefully, we can implement this in other courses as well,” he added.
What is causing the delay?
During the hearing, the issue of technical panels was also discussed.
CHED Technical Panels, composed of experts and stakeholders from various fields, are responsible for reviewing and updating programs to ensure they align with industry needs and international standards.
EDCOM 2 reported that despite efforts to revitalize these panels, progress has been slow. From FY 2020 to FY 2023, only 15 out of 98 technical panels were reconstituted, leaving 63 still pending.
Villanueva then asked what was causing the delay.
CHED Office of Programs and Standards Development Director Aline Magalong provided updates on the situation.
As of Oct. 1, CHED noted that 33 technical panels have been reconstituted, but many are still in the process of being rationalized—particularly those with overlapping disciplines.
De Vera also explained that the remaining pending technical panels are still undergoing consolidation.
“A lot of the technical panels with similar disciplines have been consolidated. What we are still working on are the panels for engineering and technical fields as we are still collaborating with the Private Sector Advisory Council,” De Vera said. “Hopefully, we can finalize these by December,” he added.
Despite this progress, Villanueva noted that 40 technical panels remain to be reconstituted.
“We really need more input and support from the different industries and sectors to help us address these gaps,” Cayetano said.