Manila: A party-list lawmaker has filed a bill seeking to strengthen the country's anti-bullying law and ensure safer learning environments across all levels of education.
According to Philippines News Agency, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno filed House Bill 10038, or the Expanded Anti-Bullying Act, following findings from the 2019 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which showed that 65 percent of Filipino students experienced some form of bullying at least a few times a month.
"More than a decade after the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 10627, otherwise known as the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, bullying remains a pervasive and alarming problem in Philippine educational institutions," Diokno said. He noted that many schools continue to face challenges in preventing, identifying, and responding to bullying despite the law.
The 2022 PISA also indicated that 43 percent of girls and 53 percent of boys in the Philippines experienced bullying several times a month, far exceeding the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development averages of 20 percent and 21 percent, respectively.
Citing data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education, Diokno stated that about 10,018 public schools have yet to fully comply with anti-bullying policy requirements.
House Bill 10038 aims to expand the coverage of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 to include higher education institutions and technical-vocational schools. It also addresses acts committed by teaching and non-teaching personnel outside their official duties.
The bill broadens the definition of bullying by explicitly prohibiting acts that humiliate, exclude, or target a person based on actual or perceived characteristics, including age, religion, culture, ethnicity, political beliefs, social class, sex characteristics, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.
To enhance prevention and intervention, schools would be required to establish mechanisms for the early identification of students showing signs of emotional distress, social isolation, or violent behavior, with timely referrals to mental health professionals when necessary.
The measure also requires educational institutions to create Student Support Teams composed of administrators, guidance counselors, and teachers to assess and respond to serious or repeated bullying incidents.
Under the proposal, anonymous reports would trigger a preliminary safety assessment, while schools would be required to conduct periodic climate and safety assessments to monitor the prevalence of bullying and evaluate the effectiveness of their policies.
The Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, in consultation with stakeholders, would establish standardized complaint mechanisms with mandatory timelines, confidentiality safeguards, and clear appeal procedures.
The bill mandates annual training for school personnel on bullying prevention, conflict de-escalation, mental health awareness, child protection, and trauma-informed responses.
It further prescribes administrative sanctions against school administrators and personnel who fail to comply with the law, without prejudice to any criminal or civil liability.
The proposal builds on the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 and Department of Education Order 6, s. 2026, by institutionalizing reforms, including the recognition of social bullying and gender-based bullying.
Diokno filed House Bill 10038 with fellow Akbayan Reps Percival Cenda±a and Dadah Kiram Ismula, and Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao.
