To effectively address bullying and promote a safer learning environment for students nationwide, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday, Feb. 6, announced that the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Bullying Act are currently under review.

In a statement, Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the importance of strengthening the policy to ensure greater compliance across schools.

“We are reviewing the IRR of the anti-bullying law, as well as making sure there is greater compliance with the law, especially the adoption of stronger policies which are required by the law,” Angara said.

Updating the rules and regulations

In a separate statement, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) said it is working with DepEd to fast-track the revision of the IRR for the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.

Following a year of consultations and studies, EDCOM 2 said it submitted its proposed revisions to DepEd in January.

EDCOM 2 urged DepEd to expand its definition of bullying, enhance both prevention and intervention programs, and ensure the availability of both guidance counselors and discipline officers to address bullying in schools.

EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee commended DepEd for its swift response. "We thank DepEd for their quick action,” he said.

Yee noted that EDCOM 2 submitted its proposal on January 21. “Now, just two weeks later, we are already discussing how to refine and update our policies to address the issues faced by our students at the soonest possible time,” he added.

Dr. Allan Bernardo, a member of the EDCOM 2 Standing Committee and Distinguished Professor at De La Salle University (DLSU), emphasized the need to strengthen learner support services in schools during the discussion.

Based on the five studies conducted by DLSU and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), Bernardo noted that “bullying does not impact mental health so much, however, the substantial effects on learning are very noticeable.”

“The worst consequence of bullying is student disengagement,” Bernardo said. “This disengagement not only hampers their academic performance but can also lead to long-term educational disinterest,” he added.

Meanwhile, DepEd Undersecretary Filemon Ray Javier explained that it is of “vital importance” for President Marcos and Angara to ensure that schools provide an environment conducive to learning.

“Studies show that bullying experienced by our learners does not only affect their mental and emotional states but also their learning capacities,” Javier explained. “Updating and revising the IRR of the Anti-Bullying Act is timely and necessary to prevent bullying in learning environments,” he added.

Javier said that DepEd and EDCOM 2 shall continue to “coordinate and work on the necessary protective mechanisms” in this regard in compliance with the President's directives.

EDCOM 2 noted that the revision of the IRR is scheduled to be completed in the next two months and for implementation by the start of School Year (SY) 2025-2026.

Strengthening learners’ protection

Meanwhile, Angara said DepEd also institutionalized the Learner Rights Protection Division to ensure that there are dedicated personnel to monitor the implementation of the policy across divisions and schools.

“We have strengthened the learner protection office to increase capacity and ensure more people are available to help victims,” Angara said.

“We are also prioritizing filling guidance counselor or similar positions to ensure there are people to help,” he added.

DepEd, according to EDCOM 2, is working on the formulation of the IRRs of Republic Acts 11036 (the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act) and 11206 (the Secondary School Career Guidance and Counseling Act), and it is planning to align the revision of the Anti-Bullying policy alongside these two other critical measures.

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