Senator Win Gatchalian is proposing to increase the number of guidance designates in public schools to help address incidents of bullying.

Gatchalian made this proposal in a Senate Committee on Basic Education hearing that tackled recent incidents of bullying and violence in schools. Guidance designates are teachers tasked with performing duties related to the implementation of guidance services. 

The lawmaker also urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to review the ideal ratio of guidance designates to learners. To date, one guidance counselor or guidance designate is assigned for every 500 learners. Based on DepEd data, 10,412 out of 45,326 schools have no guidance designates for School Year 2024-2025.

While Gatchalian maintains that teachers should be relieved of non-teaching tasks, he sees the increase in guidance designates as a stopgap measure in the absence of guidance counselors.

“Part of our recommendation to DepEd is to review the role of guidance designates. Maybe we can increase their number depending on the size of the school by adjusting the ratio,” said Gatchalian.

Moving forward, Gatchalian pressed the importance of implementing the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act (Republic Act No. 12080), which he authored and sponsored. The law mandates the development of a School-Based Mental Health Program to promote the mental health and well-being of learners. The law also seeks to address the shortage of guidance counselors in public schools.