RECCVED
cure 07 SEP 2016

Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS RECISTS Tien
First Regular Sessic * ATION UAT
eis ae Bis ow aspys

3542 sie

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: Hon. Angelina “Helen” D.L. Tan, M.D.

AN ACT MANDATING THE PROVISION OF A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE AND
COUNSELING PROGRAM FOR ALL SCHOOL CHILDREN AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

EXPLANATORY NOTE
Guidance and counseling plays enormous importance in the holistic development of

school children. It serves in fulfilling the basic physiological needs of students and strengthens
the educational program of schools.

School's guidance and counseling programs seek to provide for the following’:

- Realization of students’ potentialities;

- Help children with developing problems;

- Contribute to the development of the school’s curriculum;

- Provide teachers with technical assistance; and

- Contribute to the mutual adjustment of students and the school.

Guidance and counseling programs help to promote personal growth and prepare
students to become motivated workers and responsible citizens. It serves as an integral part of a
school’s total educational program?

The Philippines, under Republic Act No. 9258, otherwise known as the "Guidance and
Counseling Act of 2004," provides for a policy of promoting the “improvement, advancement,
and protection of the guidance and counseling profession by undertaking and instituting
measures that will result in professional, ethical, relevant, efficient, and effective guidance and
‘counseling services for the development and enrichment of individuals and group lives.”

It also recognizes the “important role of guidance counselors in nation-building and
promotes the sustained development of a reservoir of guidance counselors whose competence
have been determined by honest and credible licensure examinations and whose standards of
professional practice and service are world-class and internationally recognized, globally
competitive through preventive regulatory measures, programs and activities that foster their
continuing professional development.”

Unfortunately, however, the existing Department of Education's guidance and

' Introduction to guidance and counseling, Gibson, R.L., 2008
* The power of groups: Solution-focused group counseling in schools, Cooley, L., 2009



counseling program is being undermined by the scarcity of guidance counselors primarily
‘Decause of salary issues.

Primary importance given to academic or curricular development in the face of the
country’s urgent need to improve the quality of education also impairs the proper attention that
should be given to the mental health of the Filipino youth.

A Study entitled “School Violence in the Philippines: A Study on Programs and Policies”
reveals that DepEd’s Order No. 40, s. 2012 or the Child Protection Policy, which secks to
safeguard the welfare of school children from all forms of violence, “could be viewed on a
perspective that majority of the provisions listed pertain to handling of cases of violence and
abuse in schools more than preventive measures to strengthen the stakeholders’ capacity

to be vigilant against these cases*” (emphasis supplied).

More importantly, the study in part concludes that, “The most effective (school)
interventions appear to be those aimed at improving social and interpersonal skills and
modifying attitudes and beliefs” or precisely those very components that a guidance and
counseling program would seek to provide.

Given the many problems brought about by the negative effects of emerging technologies
on children, alarming suicide rates among our youth, and the need to adequately prepare our
students in choosing their career tracks for the K to 12 Program, it is imperative to strengthen
the current guidance and counseling program of the DepEd through the functional and
structural restructuring of guidance and counseling organization in schools throughout the
country.

Proper attention to mental health services cannot be sacrificed in favor of academic
development inasmuch as the intellectual development of our youth can only prosper if they are
given the adequate mental health services they so badly need, especially with the challenges of
rapid technological modernization around the globe that is already taking its toll in the
emotional well being of many people, especially the youth. Technology such as cell phones, video
games, internet and computers have become an integral part of neatly every teenager's life such
that it becomes imperative to guide school children regarding their responsible use of
technology for them to make the most of its effect on their lives.

The implementation of the K to 12 Program that seeks to better prepare high school
graduates either for college and technical and vocational skills for employment necessitates the
appointment of personnel other than licensed school counselors to run the career guidance
advocacy activities of schools for their high school students. The K to 12 in fact provides for
“career and employment guidance counselors” who will properly guide the students in choosing
their career tracks*,

It is also alarming that an estimated 4.5 million Filipinos are depressed, which according
to the World Health Organization is the highest in Southeast Asia, where only one out of three
who suffer from depression seek the help of a specialist. One third of this number is not even
aware of their condition.

* School Violence in the Philippins
Saehoon

* Section 19 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10533,
otherwise known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013

Study on Programs and Policies, Ancho, Inero and Park,


Although the country has the lowest suicide rate among ASEAN-member countries, it is
said that suicides among Filipinos are likely to be underreported because of the complicated
procedure of registering a suicide and the stigma surrounding it.

According to the 2013 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS4) conducted by
the UP Population Institute and the Demographic Research and Development Foundation,
suicide rate among 15 to 19 year olds was 13.4 in 2002 and 8.7 in 2013 but an increase in the
proportion of suicide attempts among those who had thought of suicide was noted, with 25 in
2002 and 36.7 in 2013.

Among Filipino students surveyed in the 2003-2004 Global Schoolbased Student
Health Survey (GSHS), 42 percent had felt sad or hopeless for two weeks or more in the past
year, 17.1 percent had seriously considered committing suicide in the last year and 16.7 percent
had made a plan about how they would commit suicide.

A study entitled “Suicide in the Philippines: Time Trend Analysis (1974-2005) and
Literature Review” showed that “while suicide rates are low, increases in incidence and
relatively high rates in adolescents and young adults point to the importance of focused suicide
prevention programs."s

Despite the immense need for counseling professionals, we have a very limited number
of school-based counselors, psychologists and social workers who are serving in our educational
institutions, which is unfortunate considering that schools are supposed to be essential partners
in caring for the students’ mental and emotional health.

Hence, this bill seeks to provide not only a comprehensive but a suitable and functional
guidance and counseling program for all school children and the hiring and training of
additional school-based guidance counselors, psychologists, school social workers and mental
health personnel in order to enable the students to avail of services that will address their
mental, emotional and developmental needs with the end view of providing a holistic approach
to the development and learning of our students.

In view of the foregoing, immediate approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

i
fin
ANGELINA “HELEN” D.L. TAN, M.D.
ath District, Quezon

3

http://www,
report-suicide-and-the-pinoy

smanetwork.com/news/story/524070/lifestyle/healthandwellness/special-
uth



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

3542

HOUSE BILL NO.

Introduced by: Hon. Angelina “Helen” D.1

‘an, M.D.

AN ACT MANDATING THE PROVISION OF A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE AND.
COUNSELING PROGRAM FOR ALL SCHOOL CHILDREN AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Comprehensive Guidance and
Counseling Program for All School Children Act”.

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes the vital role of children and youth
in nation building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual and
social well-being. Likewise, the State recognizes and guarantees the right of students to school
guidance and counseling services for decisions and selecting the alternatives in fields of work
suited to their potentialities.

Moreover, the State recognizes its duty to ensure that children and youth are not only
intellectually but emotionally healthy and are able to contribute to the development of the
country and attain a better quality of life.

For this purpose, the State shall provide a comprehensive guidance and counseling
program that will adequately address the mental, emotional, behavioral, and developmental
needs of school children in order to enhance their ability to learn and improve their discipline
and behavior. In order to achieve this, the State shall:

(a) Strengthen the existing guidance and counseling services in elementary and
secondary schools by recruiting, hiring and training additional school-based mental health
personnel, counselors, social workers, and school psychologists that will extend functional
assistance to squarely address the mental, emotional, and developmental needs of studen

(b) Give adequate support and assistance to parents and guardians in improving the
behavior, academic performance, and career options of their children, including the provision of
preventive and/or intervention measures to meet immediate problems and concerns of
students, through access to appropriate, responsive, and holistic guidance and counseling
services;

(©) Support school personnel and teachers in improving classroom management,
conducting behavioral interventions to improve school discipline, and developing the awareness
and skills to identify early warning signs of violence and suicide and the need for mental health
services; and


(d) Provide direct and indirect guidance and counseling services, particularly for
Homeroom Guidance, Career Guidance, Child Protection Policy, and other policies which are
responsive to the K to 12 Basic Education Program.

SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. — For purposes of this Act, the terms or phrases used shall
mean or be understood as follows:

(a) School Guidance Counselor refers to an individual who has documented competence
in counseling children and adolescents in a school setting and who has been registered and
issued a valid Certificate of Registration and a valid Professional Identification Card by the
Professional Regulatory Board of Guidance and Counseling and the Professional Regulatory
Commission (PRC).

(b) School Psychologist refers to_an individual who holds a valid certificate of
registration and a valid professional identification card as professional psychologist, issued by
the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology and the Professional Regulation Commission.

(c) School Social Worker refers to an individual who is a graduate of Bachelor of Science
in Social Work and who has passed the social work licensure examination.

SEC. 4. Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program for All School Children. -
The Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with government agencies relevant for
this purpose, shall provide a Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program for all K to 12
students, hereinafter referred to as the Program.

The Program, which shall be comprehensive in scope, preventive and remedial in design,
developmental in nature, and an integral component of the school’s academic mission, shall be
child-friendly and gender-sensitive. Such program shall be regularly updated and, at a
minimum, shall include the following components:

(a) Provision of suitable, functional, proactive, and confidential guidance and counseling
services to students and other stakeholders, which shall be standards-based and data driven;

(b) Enhancement of the appropriate school learning environment to improve students’
academic development, career development, and personal-social development;

(©) Establishment of collaborative strategies for specifically identified populations in the
school community;

(d) Identification of students’ needs and problems;

(e) Conduct of the routine interviews and consultation with parents, teachers, school
personnel and other stakeholders;

() Conduct of periodic psychological testing, learning and study orientation, research
and enrichment activities;

(g) Formulation of guidance policies;
(h) Development of data-driven results and objectives;

(i) Referrals to other support groups and services; and


and other stakeholders

(j) Active engagement of family, communit

SEC. 5. School Guidance Counselors, Psychologists and Social Workers. - The Secretary
of DepEd shall initiate the immediate recruitment, hiring, and training of school guidance
counselors, psychologists, and social workers. At least one (1) guidance counselor and one (1)
psychologist shall be assigned for each elementary and secondary school. In cases where a
psychologist is not available or when the Secretary of DepEd may deem appropriate, a social
worker shall be appointed.

Private elementary and secondary schools shall likewise appoint at least one (1) guidance
counselor and one (1) psychologist. In cases where a psychologist is not available or when the
School Head/Principal may deem appropriate, a social worker shall be appointed.

SEC. 6. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Department of Education shall, one
hundred twenty (120) days after the enactment of this Act, promulgate the necessary rules and
regulations to implement the provisions of this Act.

Furthermore, the Secretary of DepED shall issue the necessary guidelines in the
selection, recruitment and hiring of personnel and the nature, scope and guiding principles of
the mental health services to be offered to students, including the rules of procedures, roles,
functions and parameters in the organization, administration and supervision of a
comprehensive guidance and counseling program.

SEC. 7. Sanction for Noncompliance. ~ In the rules and regulations to be implemented
pursuant to this Act, the Secretary of the DepED shall prescribe the appropriate administrative
sanctions on school administrators who shall fail to comply with the requirements under this
Act. In addition thereto, erring private schools shall likewise suffer the penalty of suspension of
their permits to operate.

SEC. 8. Appropriations. - The sum necessary for the effective implementation of this Act
shall be taken from the unappropriated funds of the Philippine Treasury. Thereafter, such sum
as may be needed for its continued implementation shall be included in the Annual General
Appropriations Act.

SEC. 9. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain
valid and subsisting.

SEC. 10. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order,
letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act is hereby modified or amended accordingly.

SEC. 11. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the
Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,