Sonny Angara directs DepEd to step up cyberbullying crackdown

MANILA, Philippines — Building on its firm stance against school violence, the Department of Education (DepEd) is intensifying enforcement against online harassment, warning that severe acts of cyberbullying will face strict disciplinary penalties under newly consolidated guidelines.

The renewed policy enforcement arrives alongside the release of the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2025 results that reinforced the need for strong measures against all forms of school bullying.

While the Philippines recorded its highest performance yet, with significant gains across Science, Mathematics, and Reading, the accompanying learner well-being data showed that school safety remains essential to sustaining academic growth.

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While physical bullying incidents saw declines compared to 2018, such as a 17-percentage-point decrease in learners reporting being made fun of or being hit or pushed, the assessment underscored cyberbullying as a critical, evolving threat to learner focus and well-being.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that learner determination must be matched by a secure and supportive learning ecosystem. “Our learners have proven that they have the grit, curiosity, and drive to improve, as shown by our gains across all PISA domains.

However, our children must also feel safe,” Angara said.

READ: PH improves rank in international education assessment

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“While we take note that physical bullying reports are down compared to 2018, the PISA findings reinforce that cyberbullying is a serious challenge that requires a firm, direct response. Our guidelines establish clear due process, but online cruelty will not be tolerated.

Safe digital spaces are non-negotiable for basic education,” Angara emphasized.

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The enhanced measures under DepEd Order No. 6, series of 2026, or the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment (ESMLE), expand school authority over off-campus online conduct if it creates a hostile environment, violates a learner’s rights, or disrupts school operations.

Severe cyberbullying, such as sharing degrading videos, circulating explicit content, or threatening learners and staff on social media, are classified as high-level offenses that trigger formal investigations and disciplinary actions ranging from suspension to non- readmission to full exclusion–dropping the learner from the school list into alternative education–along with potential legal liability.

DepEd is embedding digital citizenship, socio-emotional learning, and strengthened values education directly into the basic education curriculum, backed by several co-curricular activities.

In observance of Safer Internet Day, DepEd, in partnership with the Stairway Foundation Inc. (SFI), conducted classroom-based discussions on online risks and cyberbullying, reaching around 4.9 million participating learners.

Through its Kaagapay Program, DepEd empowers parents and parent substitutes to recognize online threats and discuss these sensitive topics with their children. Furthermore, schools are encouraging participation in sports, youth formation programs, such as sports clubs, learner government, school clubs, scouting, journalism, and the arts to channel their energies into more productive and meaningful pursuits.

Meanwhile, in line with efforts to protect schools from online threats, DepEd recently convened a high-level inter-agency meeting to establish a threat assessment and verification mechanism.

Joining forces with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the initiative bridges the gap between school safety protocols and law enforcement digital forensics.

The proposed end-to-end operational framework standardizes every step of an incident, from initial threat reporting and evidence preservation to technical verification, protective action, and formal case closure.

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Under the inter-agency protocol, cybercrime and law enforcement agencies will lead digital investigations, while schools maintain the authority to execute immediate, proportionate safety measures and learning continuity plans.