“As principal author and sponsor of the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act (Republic Act No. 12080), I welcome the Civil Service Commission’s (CSC) approval of the qualification standards (QS) for positions that the law created, which will help us meet the need for experts in the implementation of the School-Based Mental Health Program.

Now that the QS are approved, the Department of Education should lose no time in filling up the 10,000 positions for School Counselor Associate I, which received a P2-billion allocation under the 2026 national budget. Ngayon natin higit na kinakailangan ng mga propesyonal para itaguyod ang kaligtasan at kapakanan ng ating mga mag-aaral.”

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Photo by Mark Cayabyab / OS WIN GATCHALIAN