Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ______ 
INTRODUCED BY REP. HARRIS CHRISTOPHER M. ONGCHUAN 
       EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The State affirms the basic right of all Filipinos to mental health as well as the 
fundamental rights of people who require mental health services. In recognition of 
this right by the State, Republic Act 11036 or the Mental Health Act aims to create 24/7 
hotlines that would provide assistance to individuals with mental health conditions.  
In recognition of this right, and in support of the aforementioned Republic Act, 
this bill seeks to strengthen the mental health services of the education sector. This bill 
ensures that there are trained professionals, as well as adequate staff, to cater to the 
needs of the students who are having mental health problems. Through the 
establishment of mental health offices in the basic education unit, it would adhere to 
the affirmation of the state to have health services readily available. The World Health 
Organization suggests that 15% of Filipinos in their youth are affected by mental 
health problems. This is exacerbated especially in the years of online learning due to 
the COVID-19 pandemic.  
This bill was first filed by Reps. Romulo and Alvarado  in the 18th Congress. 
Without the passage of the bill in the 18th Congress, this bill is being refiled.  
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
HARRIS CHRISTOPHER M. ONGCHUAN 
August 30, 2022
8:02 am
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 Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _____ 
Introduced by Representative 
HARRIS CHRISTOPHER M. ONGCHUAN 
AN ACT  
STRENGTHENING THE PROMOTION AND DELIVERY OF MENTAL 
HEALTH SERVICES IN BASIC EDUCATION THROUGH THE HIRING AND 
DEPLOYMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND 
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR 
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 "Sasic Education Mental 
Health and Well-Being Promotion Act”. 
SECTION 2. Purposes. — The purposes of this Act are as follows: 
a) Adequately address the mental, emotional and developmental needs of learners as
well as the teaching and non-teaching personnel by making available the services of
mental health professionals;
b) Promote the emotional, psychological and mental health well-being of learners and
teachers so as to enhance their classroom and learning preparedness, most specially
to those learners identified as children in conflict with law (CICL), students at risk of
dropping out (SRDO), learner-victims of Violence Against Women and Children
(VAWC), and learners-victims of other related forms of child abuse and criminal acts;
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c) Enable the Department of Education (DepEd) to recruit, hire, and train additional 
mental health professionals and sustain their competencies, professional growth, and 
career development; 
d) Support teachers and other education personnel in improving classroom 
management through the conduct of behavioral and other guidance related 
interventions to improve the learners’ well-being, emotional and psycho- 
development, daily disposition and career decision making capability. Likewise, 
train the teachers and other education personnel in developing awareness and | 
Skills to identify early warning signs of mental health problems and the need for 
mental health interventions; 
e) Establish linkages with the community through the promotion of mental health 
programs and activities geared for the development of learners; 
f) Support parents, guardians, and concerned stakeholders in enhancing the 
academic performance of their children; 
g) Remove the emotional,-behavioral, and psycho-social barriers to learning so as to 
enhance the classroom atmosphere in order to achieve a child-friendly, inclusive, 
safe, and motivating learning environment; and 
h) Provide after care support in the treatment of mental health concerns of learners 
and the school’s teaching and non-teaching personnel. 
SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act: 
a) Counseling refers to a dynamic personal interaction, either through face-to-face or 
virtual interaction, between the counselor and the counselee, where the counselor 
employs various methods, approaches or techniques to enhance the counselee’s 
intrapersonal and interpersonal development and competencies; 
b) Guidance associate refers to an individual who is employed by the DepEd to perform 
specific skills relevant to the provision of mental health services in the school setting, 
and who possesses a bachelor’s degree in Psychology or any related course, has 
earned a minimum of twelve (12) units of behavioral science subjects or undergone 
two hundred (200) hours of supervised practicum  internship experience in guidance 
and counseling, preferably in a school or community setting;  
c) Guidance counselor refers to an individual who possesses a valid license or 
certification granted by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and holds at 
the minimum a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, Guidance, or 
Counseling without prejudice to those registered under the grandfather's Clause of 


R.A. 9258, otherwise known as the “Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004," and is 
competent to perform guidance and counselling, career guidance and implement 
mental health programs; 
d) Guidance services specialist refers to the specific Guidance Counselor plantilla- 
position in the DepEd that takes care of the mental health and well-being of learners 
and employees; 
e) Guidance teacher refers to a regular teacher who is given additional assignments 
related to guidance and counselling services aside from the teaching load, to augment 
the lack of Guidance Counselors. They shall be selected by the school heads based on 
leadership skills and potentials, and | competence in handling guidance related 
concerns. A Guidance Teacher shall preferably have a background in psychology or 
have units in guidance and counseling, and values education; 
f) Mental health refers to state of well-being in which the individual realizes  own 
abilities and potentials, copes adequately with the normal stresses of life, displays 
resilience in the face of extreme life events, works productively and fruitfully, and is 
able to make a positive contribution to the community; 
g) Mental health professional refers to a medical doctor, nurse, guidance counselor, 
psychologist, or any other appropriately trained and qualified person with specific 
skills relevant to the provision of mental health services; 
h) Mental health program refers to the system of services designed to maintain the state 
of well-being of an individual in order that one may realize one’s own abilities and 
potentials, cope adequately with the normal stresses of life, displays resilience in the 
face of extreme life events, work productively and fruitfully, and be able to make a 
positive contribution to the community; 
i) Mental health services refer to the psychosocial, psychiatric or neurologic activities 
and programs along the whole range of the mental health support services including 
promotion, prevention, treatment and aftercare, which are provided by mental health 
facilities and mental health professionals; 
j) Psychologist refers to a natural person who has professional training and clinical 
skills in psychotherapeutic intervention and assessment for mental health problems, 
possesses a license or certification granted by the PRC and holds at the minimum a 
master’s degree in Psychology without prejudice to those granted licenses under the 
grandfather’s clause of R.A. 10029, otherwise known as the “Psychology Act of 2009”; 


k) Psychometrician refers to a natural person who has professional training skills in 
psychological assessment, possesses a license or certification granted by the PRC and 
holds at the minimum a bachelor’s degree in Psychology without prejudice to those 
granted licenses under the grandfather’s clause of the Psychology Act of 2009; and 
l) Psychosocial problem refers to condition that indicates the existence of dysfunctions 
in a person’s behavior, thoughts and feelings brought about by sudden, extreme, 
prolonged or cumulative stressors in the physical or social environment. 
SECTION 4. Establishment of Mental Health and Well-being Office. - There is hereby 
established, under the administration and supervision of the DepEd, a Mental Health 
and Well-being Office in every schools division which shall provide services that 
cater and respond to the mental, emotional, and developmental needs of learners and 
personnel of the DepEd. 
A sufficient number of Guidance Counselors and Guidance Services Specialist 
positions shall be created within the schools division offices and in schools in order 
to cater to the needs of learners and employees, based on the minimum standards to 
be determined by the DepEd and the Department of Health (DOH), in coordination 
with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Department of Budget and 
Management (DBM). 
Each Mental Health and Well-being Office shall be headed by a qualified mental 
health professional who shall hold the position of Guidance Services Specialist V 
(Salary Grade 24). 
SECTION 5. Hiring and Deployment of Mental Health Professionals. — Subject to 
the guidelines set by the CSC and the DBM, the DepEd shall provide for the hiring 
and deployment of mental health professionals such that each public elementary and 
secondary school, vocational institution, and offices in the central, regional, and 
schools division governance levels of the DepEd shall have mental health 
professionals or mental health service providers within five (5) years from the 
effectivity of this Act. 
Until such time that the number of mental health professionals is deemed sufficient, 
the DepEd may deploy guidance teachers and other similarly qualified employees to 
provide school-based mental health services: Provided, That the DepEd shall provide 
the said teachers and employees the appropriate training in counselling and 
management of mental health issues: Provided, further, That the performance of said 
teachers and employees shall be supervised by qualified mental health professionals 
within the school or the schools division office: Provided, finally, That they shall 


receive additional honoraria as just compensation for providing such services, subject 
to the guidelines set by the DBM and the Commission on Audit. 
Notwithstanding the provisions of the Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004, public 
education institutions may hire, as may be necessary, college graduates who do not 
yet qualify as mental health professionals but who possess a background in 
psychology or similar fields to provide school-based mental health services: Provided, 
That the DepEd shall provide such college graduates the appropriate training in 
counselling and management of mental health issues and shall be supervised by 
qualified mental 
SECTION 6. Professional and Career Development of Mental Health Professionals. 
— The DepEd shall, in coordination with the DBM, CSC, DOH and PRC: 
a) Prepare a career and personnel development plan that shall include provisions | 
on personal wellness, merit promotion, performance evaluation, in-service training, 
post graduate scholarship grants, research grants, suggestions and incentive award 
system; 
b) Prescribe the salary grades of mental health professionals related items in 
accordance with the provisions of R.A. 6758, otherwise known as the “Position 
Classification and Compensation Act of 1989”, as amended;  
c) Set the standards for qualification outcomes of mental health professionals in 
accordance with R.A. 10968, otherwise known as the “Philippine Qualifications 
Framework (PQF) Act”;. 
d) Revisit the DepEd’s organizational structure in order to provide competent and 
professional personnel who shall provide supervision and technical assistance to 
Guidance Counselors at the school levels; 
e) Review and revise the duties and responsibilities of mental health professionals in 
accordance with pertinent laws; 
f) Prepare a performance evaluation system that appraises the performance of a 
counselor and the impact of the same on organizational effectiveness: Provided, That 
each employee shall be informed by the immediate supervisor of the result of the 
evaluation of their performance; 
g) Provide for the institutionalization of the Basic Education Mental Health Manual; 
and 
h) Provide periodic training and skills upgrading and development to mental health 
professionals. 
  
SECTION 7. Salary Scale. — The career and salary scales of mental health 
professionals in schools shall provide for a gradual progression from a minimum to 


a maximum salary — by means of regular increments, to be given regularly based on 
merit and competencies as similarly given to Master Teachers. 
The entry level of mental health. professionals shall not be lower than Salary Grade 
16. The positions of Guidance Associates and Psychometricians shall be assigned the 
Salary Grade 11 level. 
SECTION 8. Benefits, - The mental health professionals shall enjoy the rights and 
privileges as provided in R.A. 7305, or the “Magna Carta of Public Health Workers", 
R.A, 11036, or the “Mental Health Act”, and other pertinent laws. 
SECTION 9. Programs and Projects Related to Mental Health. - The DepEd shall 
provide sufficient resources for mental health programs and projects designed to 
maintain and address the mental health and well-being of learners and personnel. 
SECTION 10. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the implementation of this 
Act shall be included in the DepEd budget in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
SECTION 11. Joint Congressional Oversight Committee. — There is hereby created 
a Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) to monitor and oversee the 
implementation of the provisions of this Act. The JCOC shall be composed of five (5) 
members each from the Senate and from the House of Representatives, respectively, 
including a member of the minority from each chamber, to be chaired jointly by the 
chairpersons of the Committees on Basic Education of both the Senate and the House 
of Representatives. The four (4) other members from each chamber, which include 
those coming from the minority, shall be designated, respectively, by the President 
of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
SECTION 12. Sunset Review. — Within five (5) years after the effectivity of this Act, 
or as the need arises, the JCOC shall conduct a sunset review. For purposes of this 
Act, the term “sunset review” shall mean a systematic evaluation by the JCOC of the 
implementing agencies’ performance and accomplishments, including the impact of 
this Act, for purposes of determining remedial legislation. 
SECTION 13. Implementing Rules and Regulations, — Within ninety (90) days from 
the approval of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall, in consultation with the 
DBM, CSC, DOH, DSWD, PRC and other concerned stakeholders, formulate and 
issue the rules and regulations implementing the provisions of this Act. 
SECTION 14. Separability Cause. — If any part or provision of this Act is held invalid 
or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and 
effect. 


SECTION 15. Repealing Clause. — All jaws, orders, and rules and regulations 
contrary to, or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or 
amended accordingly. 
SECTION 16. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved.