The Department of Education (DepEd) expressed its condolences for the death of a Grade 10 student from an unidentified public school in Maasin, Iloilo. The student passed away on May 10, although the cause of death was not disclosed. DepEd mentioned that psychosocial interventions have been provided to the peers and teachers close to the student by the school’s Child Protection Committee (CPC).
All schools are mandated to have a CPC, which is responsible for creating a system to identify students who may be facing physical, emotional, or behavioral issues. DepEd also stated that the school would coordinate with authorities regarding the incident and urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified information out of respect for the grieving family.
In light of the increasing number of student suicides, Rep. Raoul Manuel of Kabataan Partylist called for President Marcos Jr. to declare a mental health emergency. This was in response to the pressures faced by young people today. However, DepEd has struggled to hire more licensed guidance counselors due to career progression limitations and stringent educational requirements. Despite having over 5,300 authorized positions for registered guidance counselors, only around 1,000 have been filled.
In schools without a registered guidance counselor, teachers without the necessary license take on the role of providing guidance and counseling services, adding to their workload. For those in need of assistance, the National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline is available at +63 917 899 8727 and 7989 8727.
