EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara convened the largest gathering of education officials last Monday to come up with comprehensive measures to address the increasing number of bullying cases in public schools.
The Executive Committee brought together key officials from DepEd, civil society organizations, and academic experts.
Based on data presented during the meeting, the DepEd National Capital Region alone recorded 2,500 cases of bullying in the school year 2024–2025, up from 2,268 in the previous year.
Data presented by DepEd under its Enhanced Basic Education Information System (EBEIS) in a recent Senate hearing showed 48,868 physical bullying cases reported in school year 2019 to 2020; 3,560 in school year 2020 to 2021, and 12,733 cases in school year 2021 to 2022 for a total of 65,161 reported cases.
Cyberbullying cases were recorded at 7,758 in school year 2019 to 2020; 2,123 in 2020 to 2021; and 4,777 in 2021 to 2022, for a total of 14,658 reported incidents.
The “hotspot areas” for bullying cases, according to the EBEIS, from November 24, 2022 to April 7, 2025 were the NCR with 253 reported cases, followed by the Southern Tagalog region with 115, and Central Luzon with 87 reported cases.
Angara acknowledged the problem, saying that to effectively combat bullying, there is a need to work not just inside schools but also in households and communities where 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,” Angara told the ExeCom gathering.
Angara said the gathering was able to come up with some measures to address and prevent bullying cases.
“Among the immediate measures agreed upon, the PNP committed to intervene in bullying cases involving legal violations. Installation of CCTVs and increased police visibility will also be enforced outside large urban and high-risk schools, with strict adherence to DepEd’s policy on data privacy and zones of peace,” Angara said.
He added that the Department of Social Welfare and Development committed to investigating reported cases through its field offices and to establishing a Parent Effectiveness Office.
Beyond school grounds, the Department of the Interior and Local Government also proposed the activation of the Comprehensive Barangay Juvenile Intervention Program (CBJIP).
The CBJIP, according to Angara, aims to prevent bullying at the community level through diversion and rehabilitation.
Experts from the University of the Philippines College of Education and Ateneo de Manila University will assist DepEd in enhancing its Values Education and Good Manners and Right Conduct curriculum.
“The proposed enhancements will include integrated socio-emotional learning, emotional regulation, and conflict management, “ Angara said, adding that representatives from UNICEF and Save the Children Philippines also offered data and globally vetted programs to support the effort.
He said that additional programs 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 to better address the needs of Children-at-Risk and Children in Conflict with the Law.
Angara said the DepEd is also drafting a Default Policy on School Safety and Security.
The policy will cover 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.
“In the long term, DepEd will develop a comprehensive School Operations Manual that consolidates all safety and discipline-related policies,” he added.
The DepEd chief said additional measures include the deployment of barangay tanods and police officers, as well as TUPAD beneficiaries to act as school watchmen.
“DepEd will also tap parents, alumni volunteers, and student leaders to assist in monitoring and implementing school safety initiatives,” Angara added.
