Go eyes funding for school counselors

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bong Go said he will closely scrutinize the government’s education budget to ensure that adequate funding is provided for school counselors and mental health personnel, as new Department of Education (DepEd) data showed that fewer than 1,000 registered guidance counselors are serving more than 45,000 schools nationwide.

The senator, who chairs the Senate committees on youth and sports, said the shortage deserves particular attention during congressional deliberations on the national budget, especially amid recent incidents of school violence, bullying and other concerns affecting the well-being of Filipino learners.

Go said the government must make sure these created positions are actually funded, filled, deployed and sustained so students can access mental health and psychosocial support when they need it.

“Mental health issue is real. This is real,” Go stressed during the Senate hearing on the recent school shooting in Zamboanga City.

DepEd Undersecretary Willie Cabral disclosed that while around 5,000 registered guidance counselors were recorded nationwide as of Jan. 31, fewer than 1,000 were actually serving under the agency. These personnel have to respond to the needs of learners spread across more than 45,000 schools.

The department had created around 5,000 guidance counselor positions in 2020, but only about 1,000 of these were eventually filled, underscoring the difficulty of translating authorized positions into personnel actually working in schools.