Senate President Win Gatchalian on Thursday pressed the Department of Education (DepEd) to speed up the recruitment of school counselor associates across the country’s public school system.
His appeal follows the Civil Service Commission’s (CSC) official approval of the qualification standards for these newly established positions under CSC Resolution No. 2600920.
The new standards outline the requirements for various ranks, including Schools Division Counselor, School Counselor I to IV, and School Counselor Associate I to V. This regulatory milestone directly supports Republic Act No. 12080, also known as the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, which legally mandates the rollout of comprehensive, school-based mental health initiatives.
Gatchalian emphasized that this approval removes a major hurdle, allowing schools to finally onboard the specialized professionals needed to run these vital programs effectively.
“Now that the (qualification standards) are approved, the Department of Education should lose no time in filling up the 10,000 positions for School Counselor Associate I, which received a ₱2-billion allocation under the 2026 national budget,” he said.
“Ngayon natin higit na kinakailangan ng mga propesyonal para itaguyod ang kaligtasan at kapakanan ng ating mga mag-aaral,” he added.
The Senate leader has been a vocal advocate for reinforcing mental health support in schools, particularly after a string of violent incidents involving students.
He maintains that bolstering counseling services is vital for identifying at-risk youth early and intervening with the necessary guidance before behavioral issues turn into tragedy.