Manila: Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Thursday urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to immediately use the PHP2 billion allocation under the 2026 national budget to hire 10,000 school counselor associates, saying the positions are needed amid rising incidents of violence in schools.
According to Philippines News Agency, the funding, included in this year's General Appropriations Act, supports the implementation of the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act. This act mandates a School-Based Mental Health Program aimed at promoting learners' mental health and well-being.
Gatchalian emphasized the importance of the initiative by stating, 'Naglaan tayo ng pondo para sa pagkuha ng mga School Counselor Associate upang gabayan ang mga mag-aaral sa paghubog ng mabuting asal at matiyak ang kanilang maayos na kalagayang pangkaisipan at emosyonal (We have allocated funds to hire School Counselor Associates to guide students in developing good character and ensure their sound mental and emotional well-being).'
Republic Act 12080 was instrumental in creating the School Counselor Associate positions to address the shortage of guidance counselors in public schools. The law allows graduates of Guidance and Counseling, Psychology, and other qualified related programs to fill these posts, provided they meet the required academic units and have completed a supervised practicum or internship in guidance and counseling.
