President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on December 9, 2024 signed into law Republic Act 12080 or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act. The law institutionalizes comprehensive mental health initiatives for basic education institutions, aiming to foster awareness, prevention, and support for the well-being of students.
RA 12080 mandates the development of school-based mental health programs designed to promote awareness and provide services such as mental health screenings, crisis responses, and referrals, while also focusing on suicide prevention. As part of the initiative, every public school will establish a Care Center equipped to deliver mental health services, including counseling and monitoring, and provide necessary support for learners and staff. Additionally, a Mental Health and Well-Being Office will be set up in every Schools Division Office (SDO) to oversee and implement these programs effectively.
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) reported a severe shortage of mental health professionals in schools. According to recent data, the ratio of guidance counselors to students in many public schools is alarmingly low, with one counselor often responsible for thousands of students, leaving many without access to adequate support. To address this, the law mandates the creation of new plantilla positions for School Counselors, Counselor Associates, and Schools Division Counselors.
In addition to the lack of mental health professionals, another pressing concern is the implementation of anti-bullying policies. As of 2024, more than 10,000 public schools in the Philippines still do not have localized anti-bullying policies in place, despite the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013. This absence has contributed to the Philippines recording the highest rates of bullying among students in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018, where 65% of Filipino students reported being victims of bullying at least a few times a month.
Senator Win Gatchalian, EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson, and a co-author of the law, emphasized that these statistics demonstrate an urgent need to prioritize mental health and bullying prevention measures in schools. “his law seeks to address gaps in the education system’s ability to support student mental health, especially since the Philippines has the highest reported cases of bullying among students in the world. We hope to ensure a safer, more supportive environment for Filipino learners,” he stated.
“The enactment of this law will support the well-being as well as the academic success of Filipino learners. However, the real work begins with ensuring that this law is implemented effectively across our schools, especially in those that currently lack both anti-bullying policies and mental health practitioners,” said Representative Roman Romulo, co-author of the measure, and EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson.
As one of the Commission’s priority measures, RA 12080 is also co-authored by EDCOM 2 Commissioners Representative Mark Go and Representative Jude Acidre.
