Senate President Win Gatchalian on Thursday urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to fast-track the spending of a ₱2-billion fund dedicated to hiring 10,000 School Counselor Associates, citing an urgent need to counter a rise in campus violence with stronger mental health support.
Secured under the 2026 national budget, the funding supports the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act. This law requires schools to create mental health programs that safeguard the psychological and emotional welfare of students.
“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,” Gatchalian said.
The specialized positions were established under Republic Act No. 12080 to bridge the massive shortage of licensed guidance counselors across the public school system.
To widen the talent pool, the law allows graduates of Psychology, Guidance and Counseling, and similar fields to apply, provided they have the necessary academic credits and have finished supervised internship hours.
Gatchalian pointed out that putting more mental health professionals on the ground is vital to offering students the emotional safety nets and early interventions required to build safer classrooms.