With the release of the Implementing Rules and Regulation of the Anti-Bullying Act, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines highlights its demands for smaller class sizes, hiring of guidance counselors, and sufficient education support personnel as most effective anti-bullying measures.
While the updated guidelines are a step forward, ACT emphasizes the urgent need to address systemic gaps that may hinder their full and effective implementation.
One of the foremost concerns is the severe workload and chronic understaffing among teachers. Teachers are already stretched thin, performing multiple non-teaching tasks on top of their instructional duties. Without adequate education support personnel and clear protections on workload, these new responsibilities—no matter how well-intentioned—risk being passed on to teachers who are already overburdened.
Another key issue is the shortage of guidance counselors and mental health professionals. The current ratio stands at one guidance counselor for every 14,000 students, a far cry from the recommended 1:250 ratio. ACT calls for the immediate hiring of guidance counselors, learner support aides, and school nurses to complement the new roles introduced in the revised IRR. These professionals are crucial to ensuring that anti-bullying protocols are grounded in real psychosocial support, and not merely administrative compliance.
Finally, ACT points to the persistent infrastructure and capacity gaps in rural and underfunded schools. Many schools, particularly in remote areas, still lack functional private counseling spaces, and access to even the most basic digital tools. Without addressing these disparities, the implementation of the revised IRR may remain uneven and ineffective.
ACT also reminded the DepEd that bullying takes many forms, including institutional and political harassment.
“We reiterate that schools must also be protected from state-sponsored red-tagging and repression,” ACT Chairperson Vladimer Quetua said
“DepEd must guarantee that its anti-bullying commitment extends to defending teachers and students against vilification based on their beliefs, affiliations, or advocacies,” added Quetua.
ACT urges the Department of Education to issue clear and comprehensive guidelines that will delineate the roles and responsibilities of teachers and support personnel under the revised IRR. It is essential that the burden of implementation does not fall disproportionately on teachers, who are already managing excessive workloads.
At the same time, ACT reiterates the urgent need to pass the long-delayed Teacher Protection Bill to guarantee that the rights of teachers are equally protected as they fulfill their duty to safeguard students. In many bullying-related incidents, teachers are left vulnerable to complaints without institutional safeguards. Clear legal protections must accompany new responsibilities to ensure that teachers are empowered—not criminalized—when they act in good faith to maintain order and uphold student welfare.
To ensure meaningful and effective enforcement, ACT calls for the allocation of sufficient resources to support key measures. These include the hiring of enough guidance counselors to meet the psychosocial needs of students. ACT also pushes for the immediate implementation of class size reduction, particularly in overcrowded urban schools where individualized attention and classroom management are most difficult.
Lastly, ACT highlights the need for mental health programs that genuinely respond to the lived realities of both students and teachers, ensuring that well-being is not treated as an afterthought but as a core element of school safety.
“Safe schools are not built through policy alone. They are built by investing in the welfare of teachers, empowering support staff, and ensuring that every child—regardless of background—can thrive in a caring, well-equipped environment,” concluded Quetua.#
