As the Department of Education convened its largest executive committee meeting yet on the “alarming rise” of student bullying nationwide, stakeholders have agreed on at least two immediate measures thus far: enhanced police visibility and more security cameras near campuses.
The DepEd said in a recent statement that the Philippine National Police committed to “intervene in bullying cases involving legal violations,” but the agency clarified that any police involvement will still observe “strict adherence” to DepEd policies on data privacy and on campuses being “zones of peace.”
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara called the meeting in response to a surge in reported bullying incidents, particularly in the National Capital Region where around 2,500 cases were recorded in school year 2024-25, an increase from 2,268 during the previous year.
A report by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) published in January noted that anti-bullying measures remained “uneven” despite the enactment of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, requiring a new set of implementing rules and regulations.
Citing 2022 data from the Programme for International Student Assessment, it said at least 43 percent of girls and 53 percent of boys in the Philippines reported being victims of bullying “at least a few times a month.”
Aside from increasing police visibility, the DepEd would also like to see more barangay tanod being posted in school zones.
Bullying, especially in schools, is an age-old problem that has not been given much attention in the past, as adults simply chalked up such incidents to “part of growing up.” The willingness of the DepEd and other government agencies that can do something about it is a positive step in the right direction and hopefully leads to a more comprehensive effort to stamp out the culture and environment that allows it to continue to pose a threat to our youth, even until now.*
