THE Second Congregational Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has called for amendments to the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.
EDCOM 2 is a congressional body that was established to address concerns on the educational crisis faced by the nation. Their recommendation comes as a part of their efforts to address the evolving challenges of bullying in educational settings.
They pointed out that the current anti-bullying law has significant “shortfalls” in its implementation. Challenges include anti-bullying committees often struggling to carry out their responsibilities effectively due to limited personnel and insufficient resources.
There is also a tendency for schools to underreport bullying cases in pursuit of rewards for reporting zero incidents, which undermines the law’s effectiveness and the accurate monitoring of bullying within schools.
EDCOM 2 said that the current updates are necessary to deal with these problems.
“We want to ensure that every school or classroom is a safe space where every student can thrive without the fear of bullying and harassment. Strengthening our policies and introducing actionable measures, we hope that learners can feel secure in their learning environments,” said Executive Director Karol Mark Yee in a news release.
The revision of IRR is in line with the recent implementation of Republic Act 12080, also known as the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act.
This legislation institutionalized comprehensive mental health initiatives within primary and secondary education institutions, focusing on raising awareness, preventing issues, and providing support for students’ well-being.
The proposed revision also seeks to formalize the role of DepEd’s Learner Rights and Protection Office in managing and monitoring anti-bullying activities.
The revisions mandate schools to create tailored, localized anti-bullying policies and to submit comprehensive annual reports detailing incidents of bullying within their institutions.
The Philippines has a high number of cases of bullying. In 2019, the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) reported that 63.2 percent of Grade 5 students admitted that they encounter bullying at least once a month.
Meanwhile, PISA 2022 data reveal that 43% of Filipino girls and 53% of boys experience bullying at least a few times a month. This was significantly higher than the OECD averages of 20% and 21%, respectively.
